by Terry Marsh

Created on: November 28, 2008

There are very common and longstanding misconceptions that nice guys either always finish last, or never get the girl. Those statements couldn't be farther from the truth. What may be a more accurate statement is that "the nice guy never gets the bad' girl," or "the nice guy never gets the girl in the movies". But for the sake of good drama, neither of those scenarios would make for a good story line.

In reality, there are a great number of wonderful guys involved in wonderful relationships with wonderful women. And, one of the primary reasons that those wonderful couples are together is because some women actually prefer men who are courteous, respectful, truthful, and faithful.

One of the reasons why there is a perception that nice guys never get the girl is because many younger women find themselves curious about guys who are drastically different from themselves. Particularly if the guy comes from an environment which is culturally or socially the polar opposite from her own.

For many of these women, this is simply a period of exploration. Most have no interest in establishing long term relationships with "bad boys", but they enjoy the excitement of venturing into a world far different from what they have been accustomed.

Several generations ago, men were actually encouraged to do the very same thing. They were directed towards more worldly women to sow their "wild oats" in order not to taint the reputations of "ladies" in their own social standings. They were never expected to fall in love or marry these women. It was simply a means for them to gain intimate experience and satisfy sexual appetites. It never took away from their social standings as "gentlemen", nor were they chided for their adventurous explorations.

But, women have always been held to a higher standard. It has long been the expected norm for women to remain "pure" until their wedding night, and "ladies" were never expected to gain the same level of sexual experience as men. This societal concept still holds true in many cultures, but industrialized and more human rights oriented nations have come to accept that women have the same right to sexual exploration as they do the right to vote.

This also made it more acceptable for women to more openly date who they wanted, or date as many men as they wanted without having social stigmas placed upon them. Before long, chivalrous "nice guys" became boring, and the more worldly man was seen as someone who could satisfy their curiosities and raise their

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