I used to joke that I wanted to date a weak woman — a woman who couldn't make her mind up and liked being told what to do. I'd always get my way, see my friends often, and have complete control the TV remote.
In reality, weak women are not attractive. I guess I've been surrounded by strong women my whole life: my grandmother was a matriarch of the family with only a high school education. She was the ultimate "mother" figure-strongly opinionated, clever, funny, and tender. (opens in new tab)
My mom attended University of Maryland Medical School with a pioneer class including very few women. My older sister won two national championships at University of Virginia in lacrosse, (opens in new tab) and my little sister was Vice President of her PR company before I got my first promotion.
One night at a family dinner, my cousin quipped that my brother-in-law who had recently married in to our family, joined a "slightly matriarchal" family.
It's true: in my family things seem to be run by the women. Just before we sat down to dinner, my aunt was complaining that my uncle had a habit of disappearing at the worst time — in this case right before we were about to sit down to dinner. The women in our family literally shepherd the men.
Since our "matriarchal" conversation, I composed a list of what makes a strong woman. Take a look:
Intelligence
I believe everyone is blessed with some form of intelligence (opens in new tab)-whether it's "traditional" book smarts, or athletic intelligence (the ability to understand angles and physical movement, space), creative smarts, or "street smarts" — in the dating world, a sharp woman knows when a guy is playing her, (opens in new tab) and/or expects more from a guy.
Honesty
It's sometimes easier to lie than it is to be honest about everything. Honesty is the number one thing I look for in a woman. It's endearing, and it makes it easier for me to trust her.
Ambition
There are many forms of ambition — a lawyer works hard, but so does a stay-at-home mom (believe me, I've seen how hard my sister works). Drive and hard work are admirable...and two things I wish I did better. (opens in new tab)
Passion
Passion goes along with ambition, but it also adds to personality. The women in my family are a toxic mix of Italian and Irish and it makes them passionate about their points of view and the things they love. If a woman doesn't have a passionate love for a type of music or food (opens in new tab), it makes her appear to have a weak personality. Passion is also linked to loyalty.
The Power to Say "No"
When the ex comes back that she shouldn't be with, she can say "no." She can say "no" to bad influences. She does whatever she wants to do whenever she wants to do it, and it's her decision and no one else's.
Do you agree with my list above? What do you think makes a strong woman? Who in your life is a strong woman?
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/richravens (opens in new tab)
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