Thread by @MetroUK

🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨

@EllenCScott speaks to Michelle Begy, the founder of Ignite dating, who claims that there are some prime sins that regularly stand in the way of people finding their happily ever after.

Could *you* be the problem? 😳

👇🧵
trib.al/SLEjL4n

Okay, so you’re on the dating scene, swiping away on the apps, chatting away, but things keep going wrong.

The dates are rubbish. Relationships fail. The chat just isn’t flowing...

While it’s easy – and rather tempting – to blame everyone else for this, the truth is that we might need to take some responsibility for the general mess of our love lives.

Could you be the problem? Are your standards too high? Or too low? Are you groundhogging?

The tricky thing is that unhealthy habits are often deeply ingrained, and take some time to unlearn.

The first step is recognising those unhealthy patterns. So, what are these seven sins? And which are you guilty of?

Here are some of the things to look out for 👇

🪞 Being obsessed with youth 🪞

The first sin: a real fear of age.

This can lead you to lie about your age on dating apps, turn down anyone you see as ‘too old’, or hold a self-defeating attitude that you’re just aged out of the chance of love.

🚲 Demanding someone with identical interests 🚲

Someone isn’t necessarily a good match just because they also love watching The Apprentice, think avocados are awful, or agree with every opinion you voice.

Stay open to someone who challenges your beliefs 👏

📏 Having a height requirement 📏

Stop dismissing anyone under 6ft. It’s ridiculous.

'With the average height of a UK man being 5ft 9 focusing on gentlemen over 6ft or even 5ft 11, you are cutting out a huge portion of great gentlemen that could be perfect in every other way.’

👙Prioritising someone’s body 👙

‘Just as women tend to place more importance on their partner’s height, men put more emphasis on their partner’s shape,’ notes Michelle.

‘But it’s important to remember that body types are not static.'

‘While your dream partner may be a petite size 6 now, it’s unlikely that 20 years down the line they will look the same.’

💰Dismissing people because they don’t earn ‘enough’💰

Yes, money is a big deal – we won’t deny that.

It’s tough to date someone with a wildly different financial situation, and someone who makes a load of risky decisions with their money might not be a great partner.

But turning down someone simply because their salary falls under a magic number you’ve decided is ideal isn’t a smart plan.

‘It’s about finding a partner who shares your attitude and habits surrounding money,' says Michelle.

🎓 Being a snob about education🎓

‘Maybe it’s the boom of online dating and the necessity to have a checklist, or the fact that more of more of us are heading to university each year...

..., but the education level of a partner plays a dominant role in the criteria of successful, single professionals, with nearly 70% admitting that it’s important or very important to be intellectually challenged by a romantic partner.'

‘The problem is, the ratio of degree educated men to women in life – not just on dating sites or through agencies – just doesn’t add up.'

‘Put simply there aren’t enough degree educated men to go around.’

💒Thinking marriage is the only thing that matters💒

Maybe let go of the pressure to wed. It’s entirely possible to have a great relationship without signing a contract.

The bottom line?

'If you really want to find that perfect partner for you, throw out the rule books, checklists and expectations and focus on the things that really matter long-term.' 🙌

'If you don’t, you could be kissing goodbye to your happily ever after, all for the sake of something that in the grand scheme of things isn’t that important.’

For the full story 👇
trib.al/SLEjL4n