Things men should not do to women

Gather around, gentlemen. Allow me to raise a drink to you. It is 2015 and somehow we are all wading through this dating landscape with relative success. We have adeptly adjusted our footwork to dodge the feminist landmines which litter the tall-grass between us and, you know, romantic normalcy.
We have done an okay job of learning how to be respectful (and generally non-repulsive) to the women. There are caveats, though, and of these we must be wary. Shifting gender roles have kept us on our toes. If you were raised “traditionally”, it leaves you at a cross-road when it comes to decorum. To examine gender roles is to examine our interactions with one another.
With this in mind, it’s important to remember that there are standards you should still adhere to. Have some respect for yourself and heed this sage advice, lest ye will be walked upon in her designer shoes. So don’t…

1. Let her guilt trip you
Bear with me, I know this is easier said than done. She put that puppy dog face on, or worse, adamant about your Friday evening itinerary which did not include her. A relationship is not about spending time with each other for the sake of doing it. If she is baselessly leveraging you into it, you need to check yourself (because you have wrecked yourself, dude).

2. Adjust to the whims of her parents
Listen, her dad’s going to hate you whether you are wearing a sweater vest, suit, poncho, or if you show up shirtless with a bottle of alcohol. You need to manage her expectations in this regard — she fell in love with you and that’s who should be presented when you meet her parents. No self-respecting man puts on a show for anyone.

3. Carry her purse while shopping with her.
I know you paid for that Chanel bag. This fact does not make you look any less pathetic toting it while she peruses for more needlessly expensive wares for you to buy for her.

4. Don’t try to buy your way into her pants
You’re buying stuff for her? Treat your lady well — I’m all for it. However, going a clothes store with this girl in couture is troublesome. You are no one’s ATM and this is 2015 —woman wants a new pair of shoes, she should be able to afford it.

5. Start fights in public
Shouts to all my brothers out there that have been in the dreaded, but necessary, Dysfunctional Relationship. A DR is an event of such magnitude that it constitutes being a proper noun. Here is the thing with these: They should happen once or twice in college — and then never again. If by day, you are a well-adjusted (and gainfully employed) agreeable human being, and by night you are playing verbal abuse with your girl, you are getting it wrong. Do not be dragged to that level. However, if this dysfunction is your fault, you deserve it.

6. Financially ruin yourself for show
This is different than spoiling her needlessly. If you can’t afford to date, that is it. Be single, eat rolex and spend what little you have on the gym.

7. Forget who’s important
Chasing a new girl? Long term relationship? Cool. Don’t forget your parents and friends who bailed you out. I’d bet that all of those people are not the girl you are currently in a relationship with. We have a habit of imagining people to be more important than they really are because of how they make us feel.
Think about how much time people spend showing how important they are to one another … flowers, cards, dinners, clothes, spending time together. You don’t have to try that hard with your buddy who helped you in a pinch. The people who are effortlessly close to you are more important than the dime at the end of the bar. Choose wisely.

8. Forget that this is all supposed to be fun
Women are awesome, why are you stressing?
This story was first published on Askmen.com