From a young age, girls are taught what they should look for in a man. Through fairy tales they are often taught that they should be strong, brave, courageous, handsome, and often times a stranger. Through our teenage years, movies teach us to look for the guy who is the 'rebel:' someone who intrigues us, but hopefully won't scare our parents. And once we want to settle down, we read countless articles of how are boyfriend/husband should act and if he doesn't how he is not the one.

We often get angry at our society for having unrealistic expectations for women, and brush over the fact that often the same type of standards are set for men. We hate being put into a cookie cutter mold that we feel like we have to fit, yet the same is done for men. We have taken away their right to be individuals and we have chosen how we want to define masculinity.

Our expectations of guys, whether romantically involved with us or not, should be for them to be themselves. For them to understand that is good enough and that we like that. For them not to feel under the pressure that our society brings. Six pack abs don't define the character and personality of a man. We as women need to lower our expectations for men. Not because they are unable to obtain them, but because often they are our unrealistic fantasy that we have dreamed up in our head of what our perfect relationship/boyfriend/husband should be like. And to be frank, its unfair to them.

This was a bit of a soapbox article, and I understand that. But I feel like it is a topic that is so often missed in our raging feminine society. Yes I believe in chivalry, but I also believe in mutual respect among people who love each other. So be sure to appreciate and encourage the men in your life, they feel the pressure just like you.