If you're looking for advice on finding love again from a guy's perspective, get ready to do some digging. The lion's share of post-split advice out there is geared toward women, written to help them get over Mr. Wrong so they can find Mr. Right.
But finding lasting love poses just as many challenges for men as it does for women. That's why we were happy to see a recent Reddit thread pop up on the one thing men should strive for in a relationship. Read some of the most thought-provoking responses below:
1. "Strive to be honest. I had old relationships that were full of dumb, insignificant lies and it was such a pain to keep track of them all. My current relationship with my wife is based on honest and open communication and, lo and behold, it works."
2. "Be in a relationship with someone who is your best friend and your lover. Being in love with a woman without being best friend seems, to me at least, like eating a chocolate popsicle that doesn't have the stick in the center holding it in place. It's going to fall apart."
3. "Strive to be open. For some reason, guys think they aren't manly if they show emotion."
4. "Work on yourself and everything else will fall into place. Part of the reason my last relationship fell apart was that I was stuck at a job that made me miserable. It wasn't until after we broke up that I realized that my unhappiness was making it difficult for both of us, especially since I didn't really talk about it with her."
5. "Treat your partner with love and respect, and when you don't feel like it, do it that much more."
6. "You need to see your partner as another human being with her own loves and fears and passions just like yours. Not a character in your personal narrative or a means you can use to get ahead in life."
7. "Realize that a relationship is work. Usually it's about 70/30 with both people thinking they are giving the 70 percent part. How do you make your relationship last 40 or 50 years? Commitment from both parties. Commitment and forgiveness."
8. "It's all about equality. If she is your woman and you love her, treat her accordingly. Respect her opinion. Learn from her. Regard her as a true equal, because she is."
9. "You need to possess the ability to change so that both of you can grow together."
10. "It's simple: Fall in love with a woman that makes you want to be a better man."