14 Singaporean men on their top relationship problems

Lack of empathy for others

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1/14

"When there are problems in life, like maybe her colleague is not performing at work. You hear the story and realise there's a reason why the colleague acted that way and you tell her that she should give them the benefit of the doubt. But instead of listening to you and being empathetic towards her colleague, her girl friends tell her that her "intuition" is right and the colleague is terrible. Turns out the colleague was just misunderstood and now she looks like a bad employee in the company." - (Samuel, 27, Naval Officer)

Being excessively materialistic

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2/14

"I'm not saying that you can't own expensive designer goods, but what's annoying is the character change that comes with it. More often than not, she's more entitled, less empathetic and rude to others." - (Danish, 28, Pilot)

Poor communication

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3/14

"They already know what they want but just don’t want to tell the guy and make the guy guess, but when the guy gets it wrong then they get mad but then refuse to say why they get mad. Or like when they are clearly upset about something and want the guy to know they’re upset but don’t want to say why, and then keep getting more upset when the guy can’t guess what it is they’re upset over." - (Jervis, 27, Lawyer)

Not being clear about their needs

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4/14

"Most of us guys are pretty straightforward. So when our partners say things like “It’s okay we can meet tomorrow!” We take it at surface value. However little did we know (or we know ever so well now) that they actually mean “You better meet me now” - (Irfan, 29, Technology Recruitment Consultant)

Ill-mannered towards seniors

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5/14

“For me, a lack of respect for elders. Like if she’s rude to the elderly for no reason or finds old people gross. That’s a no-no for me.” - (Siraj, 26, Copywriter)

Pretending to know it all

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6/14

“A girl who acts like she knows everything. Basically arrogant. It’s cool when they listen to me first then go home and get to know more about the things I like, rather than immediately act like they know (all about those things).” - (Prasanth, 21, Student)

Raising her voice unnecessarily

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7/14

“Speaking loudly in public. Like being obnoxiously loud when there isn’t really anything to be excited about. I don’t like that.” -(Rajid, 20, Actor)

Being excessively superficial

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8/14

“Those that are very into fashion and pop culture (to the extent that they) ONLY talk about fashion and pop stars every time we converse. It simply shows their lives revolve around such superficial concerns.” - (Andy, 27, Musician)

Being high maintenance

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9/14

“Like if she expects the guy to have a car, drive her around all the time, pay for all her meals on dates and stuff. Not that the guy shouldn’t do those things, but yeah, it shouldn’t be expected on a regular basis. The guy is a date, not a sugar daddy.” - (Ian, 23, Student)

Extremely different lifestyles

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10/14

“Two major things: If she smokes and drinks. Because I don’t smoke and drink, I kind of have a problem if she does it.” -(Alif, 21, NSF)

Treating others unkindly

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11/14

“I hate it when I see a girl being mean or rude to people around her. I think the way we treat others is a reflection of who we are on the inside, whether guy or girl. And a good heart in a woman is very important for me!” -(Joshua, 25, Freelance Art Director & Emcee)

Disregarding of personal hygiene

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12/14

“Body odour. That’s really the one thing that turns me off quite badly.” - (Tim, 25, Personal Trainer)

Not having any ambition

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13/14

“I’d like to be with someone who has the drive to do what she wants, regardless of what it is. I find that lots of people, not just girls, seem to join courses or get jobs they don’t really like at all. They either start with little drive or end up with none at all and hence seem to develop negative behaviours over time. Also, there are people who just have no ambition. They don’t know what they want to do with their life and that’s something I can’t stand.” - (Shawn, 25, Live Sound Engineer)

Acting aloof and distracted

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14/14

“Not trying to get to know me. For example, using her phone the minute we get seated at our dinner table. No initiative.” - (Faiz, 23, Drum Instructor)

Be it common sense or personal preference, it’s safe to say that the ultimate dating deal-breaker varies for each man in Singapore. However, you might find it helpful to note that dominating the list are logical peeves such as arrogance, impudence, superficiality, and sexual promiscuity. As for the rest, take them with a pinch of salt, ladies.

This article was originally published on LunchClick's blog. LunchClick is Singapore's first female-centric dating app, find out more here. (Additional reporting: Shazrina Shamsudin)