"You're so pretty."
It sounds like such a sweet thing to say to a girl, doesn't it? It's the go-to for you, it's the simplest and quickest way to let a girl know you like her. Tell her she's pretty and she'll never get tired of hearing it. Every girl likes to hear that someone, anyone, thinks she looks good. Right?
Wrong. I hate to burst your bubble, pal. While I won't disagree that women in general like to be told they are pretty, I promise you, that girl you are interested in has so much more to her than what you immediately see. We all do, even you. Just think for a second. Why are you interested in her? Is it just because she's pretty? Of course not. You're interested in her because she likes the same music as you, picks the best shows to watch, always beats you at Scrabble, or doesn't hesitate to speak her mind. You like her because she's protective, and kind. You like the substance behind that pretty face, so why are you only commenting on the one thing she can't take credit for?
In my opinion, beauty already comes from the inside. I have met so many people that are absolutely beautiful, and then they open their mouths. Hateful attitudes and negative comments can make the most beautiful people ugly. No amount of working out, no matter how much money you spend on your clothes, the flawlessness of your make up and hair, none of it means anything if you have an ugly heart. The opposite is also true, if you aren't the best looking but you are a loving, kind, caring and genuine person, then you will show that on the outside as well. Make sure the girl you're interested in is pretty on the inside, and she'll always be pretty on the outside.
She doesn't have control over the color of her eyes or hair. She doesn't have the ability to look runway ready every second of the day. She does, however, control her work ethic, her morals and those horrible puns she makes every day that for some reason make you laugh. Don't get me wrong, calling her pretty works -- it'll make her smile and maybe even blush hearing or reading that from you. If it didn't work, it wouldn't be so popular. But just imagine for a second that she's not a girl you're interested in -- she's your niece, your daughter, or your sister. If a guy only noticed that your daughter was pretty, wouldn't you feel like he was missing out on the greatest parts of her? What if this guy didn't think your daughter was pretty at all? Wouldn't that make you mad that he didn't take the time to realize that there was so much more to love about her than her looks? Yeah, I think it would.
So, don't call her pretty. Call her pretty smart, pretty interesting, pretty funny, or pretty driven. Call her something other than the easiest thing to come up with, because I guarantee you she is so much more than just pretty.
