YOUR DATING VALUES

Are you single and frustrated with your dating efforts? Tired of spending all your hard-earned cash at the local coffee shop for what seems like the millionth blind date? Or maybe things have been going smashingly with your new guy until he pulls the rug out from under you just as you’ve started to open your heart to him. The scenarios are endless in the gay metropolis of dating, but the one thing that’s for certain is that there’s no magic formula on how to snag your Mr. Right.

There are lots of things you can do to promote your chances of success, however. And this article will elaborate on one such secret that might help clear the confusion and point you in the right direction as you continue your quest for a compatible boyfriend. Sometimes pure luck is at play in meeting a quality man, like being in the right place at the right time. But more often than not, a lot of preparation is needed to date smartly. A good mixture of self-awareness and interpersonal skills is just what the doctor ordered, as you would be wise not to be led solely by your physical attraction meter when screening for potential dating prospects.

Your first step before you ever set foot into the dating jungle is to have a solid sense of identity – to know who you are and what you’re looking for. Without this knowledge, you’ll likely wander and connect aimlessly with men crowding the dating pool who have little in common with you except being single as well (and sometimes not even that!). Your time and heart are too precious; so don’t waste them in a pursuit that’s not armed with some kind of map or guidepost to help lead the way. And that’s where your values come in!

Values Defined

Values are the things that are most important to you in your life, what you hold most dear. They give your life meaning and they are the essence of who you are and what you believe in. They are a core piece of your identity, the filler for your sense of self – your internal nucleus of sorts. Without values, life would feel empty, depressing, and stale. There would be no sense of purpose or motivation.

Values act as guiding principles for our behaviour. Ideally, you will behave and make decisions based on what you believe in. They help to keep us on track and define a sense of integrity. For example, if you value family, you will likely be proactive in your participation in family functions and in being a solid support person for them in times of need.

So what are your values? An important tip about values first: When we are born, we are raised being taught all kinds of “shoulds” for how we ought to live our lives from our caregivers, school, peers, media, church, and society. When we become adults, however, we are now able to choose which values really fit who we are. As gay men, we’ve all been shamed for our same-sex feelings and it is actually through the coming-out process that we are able to assimilate a more positive identity through our own choosing and hard work, rejecting the homophobic values that all individuals in our society internalise initially.

Coming-out is an example of the value you place in taking pride of your true self. So in identifying your values, it will be important for you to distinguish between what’s truly something you believe in versus what could potentially be someone else’s expectations of you. Whose voice do you hear? Your own? Mom or Dad? Church?

“It boggles my mind sometimes how heartless people can be in the dating world, treating each other with such disrespect and cruelty…”

Another bonus tip about values: Typically, when we suffer from guilt or low self-esteem, we have likely compromised a value. When we don’t act in accordance with our values, when our behaviour is not in alignment with what we hold golden, our self-esteem suffers. When our behaviour and values match, we feel good about ourselves and have achieved integrity and responsibility.

Assignment: Take out a sheet of paper and make an exhaustive list of your personal values. Once you’ve completed them, go back over your list and make sure they are genuinely your values and not somebody else’s “shoulds” that you’re still carrying with you. It might also be helpful to prioritize them in order of importance to you. Examples of values might include: monogamy, honesty, passion, spirituality, justice, contribution, forgiveness, freedom, education, personal growth, etc.

If you have a hard time figuring out what your values are, just look at how you spend your time. This screams volumes in terms of what’s important to you. Or look at your emotional reactions to things as an additional gauge and look below the surface to see what value has potentially been triggered.

Your Values And The Pursuit of A Partner

So what’s this all got to do with dating? Everything! The most successful couples in relationships have shared values. Nothing provides the sustenance and glue to a partnership than values; everything else pales in comparison. You and that guy sitting across from you at the coffee shop may be totally attracted to each other (but he’s SO hot!), but if you don’t have comparable visions or philosophies of life, you’ll be setting yourselves up for tons of conflict and disappointment.

Having knowledge of your values will help you screen potential dating partners much more succinctly than just “winging it.” Knowing what your needs are for a partner and a relationship are expressions of your values and provide the map to finding Mr. Right. If you desire monogamy and he states he only engages in open relationships, this is a values clash and you won’t likely be a good fit as lovers. Or maybe you oppose drug usage and he admits to regular marijuana consumption. Turn away, no matter what your hormones are saying! It’s important to not fall into the trap of thinking you can change another person or that maybe someday they’ll have a change-of-heart.

Your Values And Your Dating Behaviour

Solid self-awareness of your values not only helps you weed out guys who would be totally wrong for you from the real potentials, but they also can help you stay centred and true-to-form when meeting and getting to know men. It boggles my mind sometimes how heartless people can be in the dating world, treating each other with such disrespect and cruelty. From the guy who says he’ll call you and never does, to the guy who talks trash behind your back to all his friends, to the guys online who don’t reciprocate trading pictures as promised or log off at the last minute just before you’re ready to make plans to meet… These are all but just a few examples of the ways we gay men treat each other when we should be supporting each other.

Values sometimes seem to have gone by the wayside, but if you can bring them front-and-centre in all your interactions, you’ll feel much better in your own skin and won’t have to experience any unnecessary guilt. If you value honesty, make sure that you politely let the guy on your first date know that you didn’t really feel that it was a match. If you say you’re going to call him tomorrow, make every effort to do so. Living your values gives you a sense of authenticity and an aura of confidence that is very attractive.

Conclusion

So there you have it! One of the secrets of successful dating explained that so many people tend to think would be a no-brainer, but is so often overlooked and taken for granted. By being yourself, expressing your true sense of self in every word and action, you’re sh