Dating is tough! It would be way easier for many of us if romance was like what we see in the movies. But real-life relationships rarely work like they do on the silver screen. Doubt. Anxiety. Fear. Rejection. That’s just the tip of the emotional iceberg. Especially in modern times.
Reddit users took to a viral thread on r/AskMen to share what they’ve personally experienced to be the hardest parts of dating as men. We’ve collected their most powerful and honest insights to give you a glimpse into how brutal things can get. Scroll down to see for yourselves, Pandas.
#1
The most apt analogy I've heard is that if quality partners are like fresh drinking water, men live in a desert and women live in a swamp. It's a struggle for both, but it's not the same struggle.
105points
#2
How do I show I'm interested without being a creep?
Can I read her signals accurately?
72points
#3
The feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness that come from being ignored by women all your life and or being treated like your're a horrible monster just because you exist. I personally think that both men and women have it hard, but for different reasons and neither side is willing to acknowledge any kind of fault in their own behavior, but would rather put all the blame on the other side. .
54points
Forbes reports that nearly a third of adults in the United States have used a dating site or app. Meanwhile, most people feel quite optimistic about their dating lives.
According to a Pew Research study from 2023, 36% of respondents felt somewhat positively about dating, 24% felt very positively, and only 4% felt very negatively.
#4
The hardest part of dating as a man (who isn't super duper model-tier hot) is keeping the woman on board long enough that she gets to see your charm, and humor and positive points.
Personality DOES count, but it's a moot point when most women will ghost or dismiss you LONG before you get a chance to show what a charismatic, fun person you can be.
47points
#5
This is true. I saw myself as a "catch" because I owned my own place, had a masters, and was making high 5 figures, and took care of myself and still couldn't date anyone.
Ironically now that I'm older and they are older the tables have turned cause I'm "stable", but I've been stable, what the f**k changed?
45points
#6
The constant rejection. Get rejected 1000 times and you get more than a little gunshy. The worst is when they assume it must be a joke. Because you have to be joking if you think she might be interested.
43points
Even though dating apps have exploded in popularity in recent years, they are far from perfect. For one, they demand a very different way of communication compared to asking someone out in real life.
On top of that, it’s often hard to fully understand what someone’s character and behavior are like online. We tend to present idealized versions of ourselves on the internet. And dating apps are no different. What you’re seeing is a highly curated version of the person.
#7
I can’t speak for the majority. But ever since I stepped foot out of college, dating has become sort of…transactional.
Through non-work social/networking/private events, they say I look like a “one-night” kind of guy.
Though work events, I always sense that they just wanna use me for my network.
However, the best dating experiences I’ve had were from girls I met at volunteering, exercise groups, or when I’m abroad. It’s just more wholesome to meet people without introducing yourself as “XYZ from XYZ industry.” They judge you as who you are without the added spice.
40points
#8
You are supposed to know which woman is interested in you and to approach her while simultaneously being told by women never to approach them under any circumstances. If you do approach them and it's unwanted, then you're an entitled creep. The risk isn't worth the reward.
Report
40points
#9
Constant rejection.
I have seen female friends cry for hours over the fact that one guy said no when they asked him out, and how awful it was and how guys could never understand how they feel. Lady, guys get rejected all the time, we know how it feels.
Report
38points
Moreover, online dating tends to create a deep sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). Even if you match with a great person and have a genuinely fun date, there’s always a nagging thought at the back of your mind: what if you can do better?
Instead of committing to a good relationship, some people give in to the FOMO. They’re perpetually on the lookout for someone better and better. All the while, they’re moving on from truly quality people while their standards keep rising.
#10
Nobody wants to date someone who classify themselves as good X for the same reason you don't say "I'm not racist": actions speak louder than words, and if you have to vocally affirm you're not a racist or a good guy, then maybe you're not so much those things in the first place.
To me the hardest part about dating as a guy is to make others confortable. There is an inherent display of power at play with men, and showing that you are in fact a gentle giant is hard in the beginning can be hard, especially if the relationship is new.
Report
31points
#11
You have to both impress and be yourself, but if being yourself isnt impressive you wont get anything started, and if being impressive isnt being yourself, you may get things off the ground, but it will be unsustainable and fail in the future.
Report
26points
#12
For men it's the **absence of opportunity on dating apps:**
* The staggering lack of matches
* The occasional match that goes unreplied
* The conversation that evaporates after saying hi
* The "maybe-date" that never materializes
* The occasional match that goes unreplied
* The conversation that evaporates after saying hi
* The "maybe-date" that never materializes
It's also the **fear of social alienation or punishment in real life** as the internet has socialized young men to view approaching women as harmful or annoying (a courting faux-paus).
This puts men into a losing position as they don't approach and are left unapproached — essentially a ship sailing alone afraid to hail other ships and ignored by those who sail around them.
Report
24points
As we’ve covered previously on Bored Panda, some of the most attractive traits that people can have include being kind and loving and having a good sense of humor.
The latter indicates that someone is smart, creative, and socially aware, which are great attributes for a potential mate to have.
What do you personally think are the biggest challenges for anyone dating in the modern world, dear Pandas? Have you ever run into any difficulties yourselves? What are your thoughts about online vs traditional dating? Share your thoughts in the comments!
#13
How difficult dating is for an individual man depends on a many factors. When people talk about dating being harder for men than women, they’re mostly referring to men aged 18-29. This demographic of men have trouble finding partners because there are simply fewer available women in the same age range. There is already around a 5% surplus of men in the 18-29 demographic of most western countries, plus a significant number of women in this bracket are either dating men over 30 or have no desire to date. So a big part of it is the numbers game not being in young men’s favour.
Another big issue is declining social capital, both younger men and women have far smaller social circles than previous generations. This puts them in the position of having to date people outside their circles, which is part of why online dating and bars/restaurants have become the most common ways couples meet now. This is hard for women because they’re forced to date strangers, they’re taking a much bigger risk than men in regards to their safety. However, it’s bad for men because physical appearance is far more important in these methods of dating.
There is a perception that women aren’t visual creatures when it comes to attraction, but this isn’t accurate. The research seems to suggest that for women, physical attractiveness is important, but they need additional context to know if they are truly interested in a guy, I.e. personality, interests etc. The problem is, in online dating you can’t really convey this context through a profile, so women can only filter by looks. Whereas, they may have been more inclined to give a less physically attractive guy a shot if they met him through friends/family or in a setting where they get to know him first. I think this is evident by the number of average or even below average guys that had no trouble getting married in previous generations.
There is also a massive gender imbalance in both online dating and social spaces like bars/clubs. This exacerbates the problem, as some women have so many options they end up with choice paralysis. They struggle to commit because they have the perception that there’s always a better/more compatible guy out there.
Ultimately, dating has become worse for both men and women, people are now forced to date total strangers, which is deeply unnatural for humans. Though I think it’s fair to say it’s harder for men on average. You could look at it as an analogy of being in a race, would you rather be in the race but losing, or would you rather not be able to get off the starting line?
21points
#14
Being denied any support or compassion whatsoever and somehow being expected to be confident. THEN I might get the support and compassion I don’t need as much anymore.
Report
20points
#15
The hardest part about dating as a man, is that you're never good enough.
17points
#16
Walking on egg shells for miles to reach a person who 9 times out of 10 isn’t “good” themselves. Mehhhh.
17points
#17
The perspective difference between dating for men and women can be summarized as such:
For women, the struggle is to find a **good** man to date. For men, the struggle is to find **any** woman to date.
Women are extremely quick to dismiss men in this day and age, to the point that it feels like their real goal is just to find some excuse to do so.
My personal belief is that this is due to the dynamic created by a combination of two things:
1. Young women today have been told that they can "have it all", regardless of the truth of that statement. 2. Online dating apps reinforce the idea that there is always another, better dating option. This extremely short-sighted dating landscape undermines the fact that healthy, long-term relationships aren't found, they are built.
16points
#18
It's the amount of competition. Back in college before all the online dating apps, you were just essentially competing with other dudes in that general area at that time. Now, you're competing with every male within your specific age range within a 50 mile radius or more.
Also, your profile needs to be exciting and interesting enough. When I first started online dating before I was married, you just needed a couple photos. Now 10 years later and divorced, I need a picture of me on a mountain top. A picture of me, but not too close, but not too far away. I need a picture of me with friends, but not too many friends. And I need a candid photo of doing something outside.
I luckily met my current GF after using Hinge for a couple weeks, but I absolutely hated the experience.
Report
13points
#19
Can sum it up in a conversation I read in a forum outside of reddit. Someone asks "Should a guy bring flowers on a first date?"
Most responses were ambient, just stating a preference but a fair few read like this:
1: "Ugh, flowers, tells me the guy is a total cheeseball and now I've got to carry flowers around all evening."
2: "If a guy doesn't bring flowers on a first date it tells me he's trash and has no class."
2: "If a guy doesn't bring flowers on a first date it tells me he's trash and has no class."
Both examples, guy is getting cussed as if he's a problem. Caught between being cheesy or rubbish. Not even a thought of looking within to see if they are the problem for getting bent out of shape about the presence (or lack thereof) of flowers.
Report
11points
#20
Women who like bread-crumbing and only provide one line dead end responses to thoughtful conversation starters. The entitlement that comes with the “entertain and impress me,” mentality that some women have all while contributing little to nothing to the interaction. That said, the fact of the matter is dating is not the goal. You shouldn’t want or expect to have meaningful interactions with most people. The goal of dating is to find someone who accepts and love’s you for who are and gives you permission to exist just as you are. At least it is for me anyway. Whether you find yourself more often f*ck-zoned or friend-zoned this is probably a difficult proposition regardless of gender.
Report
10points