What Men Think Impresses Women and What Actually Does

In this day and age, what does it really take to impress a lady? You may be surprised that it's not what you'd usually think!

Men have this preconceived notion about what women want, but they fail to realize that times have changed. Women are more intuitive and are starting to need more than just superficial things from a man.

So what makes a man attractive? You could say his looks, his social status or even his bank account, but those are just temporary attributes that have no permanent life span. Looks wane. Social standings decline. Money disappears… really quickly, I might add.

It's hard to forget that those things used to make the world revolve. People were so close-minded, that the only thing they saw were the superficial aspects of a human being. These days, those things don't hold much importance.

Unfortunately, some men still believe that they can manipulate women into liking them by pulling out all the stops on the things they think will impress us. Well, I've got news for you, boys. Women have changed and they've learned how to speak up and tell you what they really want.

Unfortunately for men, the things that they thought could impress women are now merely signs of frivolity and materialism that women want nothing to do with. Women find these things entertaining and pleasurable, but they rarely choose a partner for those things alone. If you use these things as obvious bait, the whole situation could even backfire.

The things that don't really impress women anymore

For you to understand what I'm getting at, let me explain what impresses women the least and why:

#1 Money. For a gold-digger desperate for a shiny hand-out, money will never fail to impress. For a woman who can hold her own and survive without a man, money is useless.

If you have money, she will acknowledge that fact and move on to what matters most - your character. Having money can actually be a downside if you can't show her that you are responsible about dividing your time between making money and having a relationship.

#2 Muscles. I'm impressed by a man's drive to commit to a healthy and fit lifestyle for the good of his own well-being, but lifting weights just to impress a girl is basically the same as going on a diet to impress a guy. I can never be proud of either of those.

It's sad how you have to model your image into something that you think another person likes. Muscles are nice to look at, but that's all there is to it. A girl will like what she sees, but you have to talk to her and spend time with her. I doubt your muscles would be able to contribute much to the relationship then.

#3 Gifts. Giving gifts just to impress a girl used to be attractive. Now, it just feels weird when a guy you hardly know starts showering you with material things. Some women find it wasteful, while some find it insulting.

There are those who will gracefully accept these gifts, but they will just chalk it up to your generous nature. It will not give you a VIP ticket into her pants.

#4 Bad Boy Persona. Unless a woman has abandonment issues, your bad boy persona won't serve any purpose. Nowadays, women do not want to be involved with someone with risky behavior. It's not even cute anymore. Women see through assholes and the way they work. We value ourselves more, which means treating us badly won't get you anything but a kick in the you-know-what.

#5 Shoes. The only ones who are impressed with men's footwear are men. Women do not want to be involved in the trappings of the Shoe Game or the Sneakerhead community. If you look good from top to bottom, that's good enough for us. We do not need to know the price of your shoes, nor do we need to know who wore them last. We're more interested in our own shoes, thank you very much!

#6 Gadgets. Men love gadgets all by themselves, but there are some who consider them as tools to impress women. They aren't even concerned about what their phones, tablets and PC's can do. The point of showing off their new toys is to emphasize the fact that they have money, and they will use it to buy whatever they want. Impressive? Not likely.

#7 Popularity. Let's face it. We are not in high school. Women are not attention-seeking children who want to date the most noticeable man in the crowd. They want your attention, not the other way around.

Using your popularity to get women seems a bit childish, not to mention vapid. Your motives might even be questioned due to your approach. If a woman does admire you because of your social status, then maybe you're the one who's on the losing end.

#8 Hair. Men take great pride in their hair - and this includes facial hair. There are those who take great pains to make their mane look good, while some are blessed with perpetually sexy bedhead. Some don't care at all, but those who care too much tend to think that it's the only thing that women care about.

Appearances are important in certain situations, but you hair will not carry you through any endeavor. A woman will appreciate your attention to detail, but she will hardly notice your hair if she's engaged in a great conversation with a guy she genuinely likes.

#9 Athleticism. Strong man = good man? I don't think so. Women are entertained by sports. But they don't use it as a standard when choosing a partner. Unless you are a professional athlete and it's your job, the most your athleticism can do for you is give you a boost of stamina as you carry around your girlfriend's stuff.

What really impresses women?

Your pretty hair and your big muscles won't be any use once you start to go deeper into a relationship. You will have to tackle adult problems that have an impact on how your lives will go. That is why women look for things that will affect their lives for the long term, not just for a moment.

#1 Sex appeal. This does not pertain to a sexy body or a smoldering look. Sex appeal is a person's overall basis for sexual desire. Once a woman sees you and gets to know you better, her mind will automatically decide whether being intimate is a possibility with you.

If you don't make her hot and bothered in any way, she will feel that sentiment and consider you a loss. Sex appeal is not something that you can work on, at least not easily. You either exude it, or it simply jumps out at you in the middle of your intimate moments together.

#2 Intelligence. High IQs are extremely attractive, but women will settle for a man who knows what he is doing. If you're fumbling with everything life dishes out, a woman will see this as a sign of weakness. Aside from that, they want someone who can form coherent thoughts and can engage them in titillating conversation. Intelligence is a gift given to all of us, but some men still need to work on stimulating their brains rather than their bodies.

#3 Cleanliness. You can have a scruffy beard or even wear a garbage bag due to your artistic tendencies, but you can still be considered clean. A man who pays attention to hygiene is highly attractive. Women want guys who smell good, are germ-free and don't have a filmy layer of grime on their skin.

#4 Wit. Surprisingly, a lot of guys get away with just having this one trait without the rest. Women are easily swayed by humor and tenacity. The same goes for men, by the way. This is just such an endearing aspect of a person's personality. A witty person is engaging and is decidedly intelligent, in retrospect. Just remember that this can only take you a few steps of the way. Your wit won't get you out of serious situations once you're in a relationship.

#5 Potential. I cannot stress this enough. Once you mention to a woman that you're unemployed and that you're still figuring out what to do, they will bolt. They will disappear so fast that you won't even see it coming.

Women want men who have the capacity to earn a living. They want a guy who has a dream or at least a goal that will generate a positive output. You can be unemployed, but with tangible plans for the future. You can have a low-paying job, but have never incurred serious debt. Women want stability and security. They want someone who won't be a burden before the relationship has even begun.

Knowing what people can appreciate can be very helpful when you're looking for a relationship. It's not just teaching you how to approach a potential date. You also get a new perspective on what's really important for women in general.

Don't write women off as superficial and easily swayed by looks and money. If you really want to impress us, remember to respect us as equals and never underestimate our capabilities and strengths. The other things that impress us are, of course, not entirely mandatory, but they're very much preferred.