Standards and criteria tend to change over time. For example, what constituted a true gentleman in the 1950s doesn’t necessarily apply in the 2020s. Can you imagine if the men of today behaved like the men of that era? In many ways, we could never measure up to the standards of that time. That’s why we’ve had to redefine what a gentleman is in today’s world. Here are 10 qualities your real-life Prince Charming should have.
- Generosity Okay, so this one hasn’t necessarily changed much. No matter the era, you can’t consider yourself a gentleman if you’re not generous. The caveat is that the men of today don’t always have a lot to give. However, sometimes being a giving person is just another way of saying that a person is kind to others, offering time and compliments rather than money.
- A willingness to learn The modern gentleman values knowledge and intellect. He most likely wants to be around a woman who is smart and interesting and is also interested in learning more. He always wants to expand his horizons, in part so he can share his knowledge with others. More importantly, he recognizes the value of learning and intellectual stimulation.
- Chivalry This is another classic trait of being a gentleman, although it needs to be tweaked a little for modern times. The days of men putting their jackets on the ground to cover up a puddle are over. I mean, do you really want us to ruin our jacket? However, modern gentlemen will still open doors for you and be attentive to your needs. No matter how much time passes, the good guys will always find ways to take care of and protect the women they care about.
- Pride in his appearance Again, this will never go out of style, even if things change a little. Modern gentlemen still care about their appearance and want to make a good impression on people. The catch is that they don’t want to go overboard and show people up – that’s for the jerks and the players. The difference between a player and a gentleman is that the latter will take it easy on hair products and won’t obsess too much about trying to outshine everyone else.
- Strong communication skills This is a newer quality of modern gentlemen and one that works twofold. First, he’ll always speak clearly and confidently. That should be obvious. But more importantly, he’s an attentive listener and cares about what other people are saying. The modern gentleman will also return calls and texts in a timely manner rather than playing games or leaving someone in suspense.
- Ability to realize and accept when he’s wrong Being a gentleman doesn’t mean that he’s perfect. These guys know that they have flaws and recognize when they’re wrong. Needless to say, this isn’t something that a lot of men are able to do. You’ll be able to recognize a gentleman because he’ll be willing to admit his mistakes and apologize when he did something wrong.
- Willingness to compliment without an agenda Guys who are only looking for that one thing will not be shy about dishing out compliments. However, they only do it to get into a woman’s good graces and convince her to let her guard down. However, a good guy will give compliments with no ill intentions or ulterior motive. A true gentleman only gives compliments when he means it.
- Feminist politics Nowadays, it’d be weird to be a gentleman without being a feminist, right? Unlike past generations, you can’t treat women with respect if you don’t believe in gender equality. Modern gentlemen don’t act superior to others just because of their gender. Plus, he’ll be able to understand things from a woman’s perspective. As mentioned, the modern gentleman is interested in learning, so he’ll be open-minded to feminist ideas.
- Consistency Perhaps more than anything, being a modern gentlemen means being consistent and reliable. This means his words will match his actions and he won’t say one thing and then do another. He says what he means and he means what he says. There are no games and you don’t have to decode his words and actions.
- Fun but not crazy I can’t help but think that modern gentlemen get a reputation for being boring. I mean, some of the traits we’ve listed don’t exactly make him the life of a party, but the modern gentleman does know how to have a good time. However, he can do it without getting out of control. He’ll be able to let loose and have fun. It’s just that he won’t do so at the expense of everything else that makes him a modern gentleman.
