Relationship Advice for Women

5 Signs a Guy Likes You

My guy friends often complain about how hard it is to read women and guage their level of interest. For a lot of us, this feels like our lopsided burden in the dating world: even though it's up to us to make the first move, we rarely get help from women in figuring out whether we'll be successful. But I've come to realize that a lot of women have the same issue with guys. Sure, it can be obvious when a guy's hitting on you. But if it's that obvious, chances are he's not going a good job of it, and you're probably not that interested in him. Instead, what about those situations where it's not obvious: where a guy might be hitting on you, but you're not sure? Or even more tricky, when you're already acquainted with a guy, but you can't figure out if he's interested in something more?

Long Distance

If there's any good news about long-distance relationships, maybe it's that they suck equally for men and women. People who want to stay together when they're apart face universal challenges, regardless of gender. Still, judging by the messages I get, a lot of women are reluctant to pin their relationship issues on distance, looking instead for other explanations for struggles with trust, communication or fidelity.

How Guys Measure First Impressions: The 22/30 Scale

A few good friends of mine have come up with a formula to quantify their early impressions of the women they seek out, meet or begin dating. It's pretty simple: the total possible score is 30 points, which breaks down into 10 points for a woman's face and looks, 10 points for physical attraction (her body), and 10 points for her personality. If this sounds incredibly shallow that's because it is; but first impressions are always shallow, and some aspects of this unfiltered, realistic window into how guys size up women in the early going might just surprise you...

Should You Settle?

So you're ready to start a life with a guy, but you're not sure of your feelings for the one you're with. Should you settle for him? This question has a short answer and a long answer. The short answer? No. The long answer? It's a little more involved, but no less emphatic:

What Would You Think?

My friend Jocelyn and I were talking the other day about a guy she's been seeing, Jake. Jocelyn and Jake share a group of friends and have been dating for a couple months, but a lot of the time they spend together is with their mutual friends. It's been bothering Jocelyn that she and Jake don't make more plans on their own, and because of it, she really wants to have "that" conversation, the one about what we're doing and where we're going. As I've done before, I warned against pushing a guy into having that kind of serious talk at this stage in the game. But I also came up with an easy way to evaluate this kind of dilemma, one that's so obvious I almost didn't mention it.

Bachelor Brad and other Nice Guys

Anyone who's been watching this season of ABC's "The Bachelor" knows that Bachelor Brad wasn't supposed to be a nice guy. After all, a few seasons ago it was the same Brad Womack who famously rejected all of the women on the show (the only time that's happened). But if you're watching this season -- even if you've only seen one episode -- you probably have a very different impression. On each date Brad is incredibly attentive and caring, so much so that he often seems sincerely on the verge of falling in love with almost every woman he's with.

Just a Friend

What does it mean for a guy when a girl is “just a friend?” The question’s been asked over and over and over again, for all different kinds of reasons. Now, from the guy perspective, here are some answers: how to become more than a friend, how to deal with your guy's female friends, and how to stay just friends when a guy wants something more.

The Friend Zone

Mixed Signals

I hear from a lot of women about guys sending mixed signals. J's boyfriend was uncomfortable using the word "girlfriend," but six weeks later he wanted to move in together. L's boyfriend broke up with her because something was "missing," but two months later he was back -- texting, calling in the middle of the night, and even showing up at her place unannounced. E's boyfriend said he had been hurt before and backed off because of his own strong feelings, then came to meet her mother without being asked, and then backed off again. So what the f*** is going through these guys' heads? Read on for the answers...

Guys Don't Think, and Women Think Too Much. Is J-Lo Right?

While talking about her twins -- one boy, one girl -- on Letterman last week, Jennifer Lopez said "it's very clear to me now, having a boy and a girl, the differences between men and women." What's the biggest difference, according to J-Lo? Basically, women think too much, and men, well -- don't. Is J-Lo right? First read more and check out her comments (from about 2:45 to 3:45 of this YouTube video).

Too Fast or Too Slow?

Most guys realize that women face tough choices when it comes to having sex with someone for the first time. Merciless social expectations say that if you do it too soon you're a slut, while waiting too long makes you a prude. And because men and women are wired differently, the pressure is typically on women to decide when the time is right. If you find it a big pain in the ass, even in your 20s and 30s, to navigate this impossible set of expectations, I don't blame you. But from the guy perspective, there is a way.