Ten Characteristics of Great Men

1. Great men have their priorities in line. They know what is truly important in life, and live accordingly.

2. Great men are tender with those in need of tenderness. They are kind to the elderly, children, and those with disabilities.

3. Great men respect and honor women. They don't objectify, degrade, or demean them.

4. Great men participate in the community. They may spend time volunteering, working for a cause, or being involved with a charity.

5. Great men are honest, and have a sense of morality, integrity, and decency. They have an internal awareness of what is or is not appropriate, good, right, or decent.

6. Great men have a sense of purpose. They do not waste inordinate amounts of time in from of the TV or playing video games. They can balance fun and relaxation with work and productivity.

7. Great men are continually expanding their minds. They do not think they know it all and are open to new ideas and insights.

8. Great men have a healthy sense of self. They are confident and secure while maintaining a sense of humility.

9. Great men help and assist others. Whether in their place of employment, in their daily lives, or in the greater world at large, they have a sense of giving back.

10. Great men are in touch with their feelings, emotions, concerns, and even shortcomings. They don't feel a need for pretense or power. They can cry, have compassion, and acknowledge mistakes. They can love and be loved.

Note, a great man is not measured by the amount of money he has, the kind of car he drives, the size of his biceps, or outward appearance.

A great man reflects his greatness in his everyday life.

After all that I have experienced, I refuse to fall into the trap of becoming a man hating wench. I know too many great ones to ever believe that. I do believe, that my idea of passion has been fucked up from the get go- thus making it impossible for me to fall in love with a normal man easily. I'll straighten that out soon enough.

What I personally will be lookingh for is nothing that I am thinking about currently, so I cant help with this post in that regard. I do, however, enjoyed Tame's list that she posted.
I basicallyjust wanted to say that YES there are plenty of non abusive people out there. Plenty.

thanks for the great list of qualities Tame. AmyLiz, I really like your outlook on things! I'm trying hard not to become a man-hating wench! LOL - that sounds like a sad existence, but a road that I'll have to fight from heading down.

I don't think I've ever had a normal relationship as an adult, and that's just sad to me. More to cover in my therapy sessions I guess.

The thing to remember as well, is that a truly great man, does this with right motives. Not just to be seen and praised to boost his ego but from a genuine heart.

I never thought I was even capable of being in a healthy relationship.. until I was. And boy oh boy.. I thrived. And I put so much self doubt to rest on whether I could handle it or not. That doubt alone had made such a huge and negative impact on the way I viewed myself for so long. And I didnt even know that that was a problem until I saw my new self in the healthy relationship.
You just have to know what it looks like. Or more importantly, what it doesn't look like. And then one day you will surprise yourself with how much wonderful you and your life will be when you find the person that treats you the way you deserve.
**side note- the healthy relationship ended because he decided that it was too fresh after his divorce to think about anything serious. It was heartbreaking, but I bounced back quickly. And that is something that I never do! SO it will also surprise you how healthy the break up will even be if it should happen!!! Stay positive.