What do you look for in a partner?

What would be your top three non-negotiables when looking for a partner?
Let’s stick to just three—honestly, if you start listing a dozen different things, it says more about how scattered you are than what you actually need in a relationship.
It might sound a little silly or intense, but it's actually a pretty serious question—if you haven't figured out your core deal-breakers yet, there's a 99% chance things won't work out long-term.
In my book, a partner really needs to hit at least two of those main criteria for the relationship to have a fighting chance.

And please, don't give me stuff like "tall, dark, and handsome"—that all falls under one single category, which is physical appearance.

1. Intelligence—and by that, I mean general cognitive ability
2. Honesty
3. Physical appearance

It’s really not that straightforward.
Looking back at this, my list seems pretty basic and uninspired, but then again, that's just how it is.

Why not... Honestly, people who go looking for hookups as their main way to find a partner usually end up being total flakes themselves.

1. Sense of humor
2. Looks
3. Intelligence

Can you rate someone based on these?

Lately, I’ve been having a bit of a hard time really pinning down who I am—just trying to figure myself out, you know? But hey, at the end of the day, this is me. 👍

Honestly, I feel like you can’t really judge someone based on their own standards—because, at the end of the day, what are those standards actually telling you about them?
It sounds a bit philosophical, I know. 😁
But it’s really just about being self-aware—figuring out what your own actual deal-breakers and requirements are when you're looking for a partner.

Think you can't judge? Just look at what people prioritize most in life 😁
You’re saying a good match could still fail based on just two criteria, but which two am I supposed to pick? You're asking for such broad categories... honestly, if we're talking intelligence, there are so many layers to what matters to me... same goes for looks.
Try narrowing it down. Like, maybe looks (physique), intelligence (being quick on the uptake), or humor (having a sunny outlook on life)... just pick the absolute essentials.

1. kindness
2. integrity
3. passion
😉

You can't really draw any solid conclusions from just two samples.
But there's this general idea—that men tend to be more driven by visual cues than women are.
And women? They usually lean more toward someone reliable and dependable—though, granted, looks still play a role in that too.

"Physical appearance" is such a broad term, isn't it? If we actually started breaking it down—like, if I prefer blondes while he’s all about brunettes, or one person likes a certain build and another prefers something else—well, then we'd be here all day having a massive debate.

It's also entirely possible for someone to be incredibly brilliant and intellectually gifted, yet struggle to apply even a single bit of that theory to real-world situations.

1. Someone who’s intellectually stimulating—you know, someone I can actually bounce ideas off of without things getting boring after five minutes
2. Physical attraction—that specific kind of chemistry that's mostly just between us
3. Willingness to meet in the middle and compromise.

I should have mentioned how much I appreciate it when he's versatile. 🙄

1. looks
2. sense of humor
3. stability (in general)

Only three?! 😲 😬

Hmm...

1.) A sense of humor (which, I guess, covers a good chunk of intelligence too, since you can't really have a sense of humor if you aren't particularly bright 😁 )

2.) Charm (this is a level above just being physically attractive. If someone has charm, they can be quite magnetic even if they aren't conventionally good-looking; but if they're "picture perfect" without any charm, then it doesn't really matter 😁)

3.) Emotional intelligence (that pretty much covers everything else, I suppose 😛 😁)

1. Physical appearance.

2. Intelligence.

3. The perfect blend of both.

......and you’re dead wrong if you think someone like that doesn't exist somewhere on this planet!

1. a sense of humor
2. that certain X factor
3. mental stability

Whenever women start listing off their endless requirements and standards, I can’t help but think of that classic scene from *Arrested Development* where Lindsay shouts, "Why can't I just have a normal boyfriend?" and her mom—who was totally eavesdropping from behind a door she wasn't even supposed to be near—just replies, "Honey, those don't exist."

1. cooking
2. swallowing

1. if I’m actually feeling it
2. upgrades
3. instead of constantly faking some grand romance when, in reality, it just hurts like hell

cosmicridge5 said:1.) A sense of humor (which basically covers intelligence too, since you can't really be funny if you're a total moron 😁 )

2.) Charm (this is a whole different level than just being hot, because if someone’s got actual charm, they can be a total wreck and still pull it off, but if they're "picture perfect" without any charisma, then what's even the point... 😁)

3.) Emotional intelligence (basically everything else wrapped up in one, haha 😛 😁) [/B]

I could totally sign off on this. Especially that third one...
👍

Casey Fisher5 said:1. cooking
2. swallowing

I guess guys are on the list for you too, then. 😁