Boyfriends! Husbands! Partners! Most men have played some of these roles at one point in their lives. Some have succeeded, some have struggled while others…. well, let’s just say that’s not their thing. Being in a relationship is a voyage of discovery and experiencing different personalities is a must. People are different. Sometimes these traits manifest earlier on in the relationship while for others, it takes a while. Either way, they usually set the pace for the relationship. Ideal relationships are not found, they are built. And one way to start building something healthy and stable is to get to know each other without blindfolds, encourage communication and constant effort towards making the relationship work. Here are some of the common types of boyfriends that many of us have probably dealt with;
The Narcissist
These are a toxic bunch. They care for nobody but themselves. Narcissists can be irresistible at first because their confidence is infectious. They charm you in the beginning and make you feel so special. However, it is only a matter of time before you see them for who they are. Once you get hooked, they change to a shocking extreme. They become abusive and find ways to break you down just to patch you up again either with pointless gifts or any other kind of sweet nothing. When you bring up their behavior as a cause for discussion, they make you feel like the crazy one and the cycle continues.
The Traditional African
These ones don’t come with an instruction manual but they ought to. Let’s just say they have a lot of demands and are a lot of work. There are a lot of things they don’t do simply just because they are men. They can’t cook. They can’t clean. They can’t take care of the kids. Come rain come sunshine! In fact, it probably is a crime or taboo in their eyes for them to do so. In a relationship, they shine and reign supreme. Nevertheless, it’s not all bad when it comes to these guys. One good thing is that they are very protective of their family as a whole. They are quick to defend them in whatever situation. They take responsibility for their kids too. Rarely will you find these men abandoning their children even when a relationship does not work out.
The Partyholic
They’re always out and about, hopping from club to club. They love partying and they’re always dragging you to these events ……or not. They are usually the life of the party and there always seems to be some tug of war between their friends and you over where he spends their free time. Everybody wants a piece of them.
The Stingy One
No relationship thrives without sharing. However, this particular guy is not keen on doing that. The mere mention of money around him changes his mood. They don’t spend on themselves and they most certainly won’t spend any on you. Everything seems like an unnecessary expense to them. If it were possible, these guys would live on a tree, for all they care, surviving on nuts and water in the wild. To make things worse, some of them go as far as turn the tables on you asking you to be the provider in the relationship. Why don’t you buy the food? Why don’t you pay for this and that? All this time he doesn’t spend a dime. For those prepared to deal with such a character, they better make sure they have their own stable source of income. For survival!
The Giver
This one is the complete opposite of the stingy boyfriend. He is generous and is always willing to step in and help those in need. Gifts, attention, love or service, you name it. He does it all. He would rather sacrifice his own needs than let someone else lack. Sounds noble right? Well sometimes it’s not always so rosy dealing with such a person. Yes, he gives but sometimes he gives everything! even at his own family’s expense. It gets even worse when you throw in black tax in the mix. This man could be helping the whole village as his own family struggles to keep afloat.
The Self Righteous One
Alas the perfect man! At least he thinks so. He believes he has no flaws. He is better than everybody else and only his opinion matters. He is very critical of people’s mistakes and shortcomings and believes that his way is the only way.
The Fitness Enthusiast
If he could marry the gym, he would. He lives and breathes the gym. He trains hard and it shows. He occasionally throws in the suggestion for you to join in if you’re interested but then again there are those that also try to force it down your throat. Dump those ones! Don’t be surprised if most of the dates he suggests involve you climbing mountains and running marathons across town.
The Non Commital Type
Are you in a relationship with him or not? Do you even know? This particular guy will keep you guessing all through in the relationship, giving you nothing but heart burns and chest pains. He never wants to commit to anything. In fact, he instead feeds you some line about ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.
Whenever a discussion on the same pops up, he gets irritated, distant, angry or simply hits the highway if there is any talk of making things official. He is great and checks off every box on your checklist. He is everything you wished for. Sadly you should listen if he tells you that he’s not into settling down. Such guys don’t lie about that, and they don’t change either.
The Busy Type
He is always on the clock. He seems to have a million things to do and you’re apparently not one of them. He will make you feel like you’re an option. You will find yourself asking to be slotted in his day more often; basically begging for his time.
The Mama's Boy
Always at her beck and call, his mom is the number one woman in his life, and the chances that it’s about to change since you two got together are close to zero. Sure, it’s cute how much he loves his mom, but guys like these are bad news especially for independent women. Sometimes it gets worse and he even starts to compare you to her. He expects you to take care of him in the same ways that she does. She is his benchmark for the ideal woman and he measures all women against her.All I can say is good luck! because very few women win this fight.
