Negative Traits to Avoid

Sunday, November 08th, 2015
negative traits

A recent survey conducted at Western Sydney University has shown that negative traits have more of an influence than positive traits when beginning a new relationship.

The survey of more than 5000 people showed that women were more likely to be sensitive to ‘dealbreakers’ than men and had a longer list of undesirable traits than their male counterparts.

Appearance

For men the biggest turnoff was an ‘unkempt appearance’, while women named laziness as their biggest turnoff. However, women were also keen to avoid men who did not care for their appearance.

While it’s virtually impossible to maintain a completely kempt look while enjoying a ‘muddy boots lifestyle’ it’s important to pay attention to your personal grooming before going on a first date.

Our own surveys have shown that being covered in pet hair and not being clean are big turnoffs even for ‘muddy’ people. Before meeting with your date, pay attention to removing pet hair (or finding a furry jumper in the same colour as your pet) and make sure to shower/bath and to clean under your nails. Even if you are planning to go for a walk together, you should make sure that your footwear is clean.

Neediness

Another negative trait which ranked highly with both men and women was neediness. It’s easy to become obsessed with someone when you first meet them and to want to spend a lot of your time speaking to them and wanting to be with them. However, if you become too clingy straight away and try to rush a relationship, it can cause your date to back off and to become wary of you.

Signs of neediness include:

  • Contacting your date disproportionally to the amount that they contact you.
  • Needing to hear from them many times each day.
  • Asking for reassurance about whether they like you.
  • Trying to move the relationship along too quickly e.g. inviting them to be your date for an event in the future, such as a family wedding when you’ve only just met.
  • Social media stalking – liking all their photos and commenting on all their posts can be a little creepy.