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Why do Good Girls like Bad Boys?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Exeter chapter.

In society today, it seems that girls are more susceptible to falling in love with Mr Wrong as supposed to Mr Right. Why is it that bad boys are so devilishly attractive? What makes men who are going to break your heart over and over again, a thousand times more handsome than a guy who is going to treat you right? With the return of Gossip Girl and bad boy Chuck Bass to our screens this week, HCX thought now was as good a time as any to discuss the reasons why us girls so easily fall for a bad boy.

In HCX experience there are two types of “bad boy”- the Chuck Bass’ of the world and the Volchuck’s. The Chuck Bass’s (Gossip Girl) are those boys that act all arrogant and distant but actually have a heart of gold when they allow someone to care for them. The Volchuck’s (The O.C), on the other hand are much more stereotypically “bad”- these are the guys who are going to cheat on you again and again, breaking promises, your heart and often the law along the way. What unites both these types of bad boys is their incapability of allowing someone to get close to them. They always place a barrier up between you so that if either of you screw up, they escape getting hurt. In many ways, this is what makes them so attractive. Girls love a challenge. Many of you would openly admit you can’t resist the excitement that comes from trying to make a “bad” boy “good”. For a bad boy to suddenly care more about you than himself is a big deal and only makes when he utters those three big words that much more exciting. In many ways, making a guy who is notorious for breaking girls heart become Mr Romantic as a result of you is an ego boost, for it shows you aren’t just another fling he has picked up on a night in TP but someone special. Unfortunately, most of the time to these guys you are simply just “another girl”.

With more and more emphasis being placed on “carpe diem” (seizing the day) unfortunately the good guys often lose out. As much as girls like to be treated right, we also can’t resist a little bit of drama. With the word “nice” often being associated with the boring and mundane, it is no coincidence that the not-so-nice guys are often the ones we fall for. As a friend of HCX said “university is a great time to experience new things out of your comfort zone and so crushing on a guy who might not be right for you, comes hand-in-hand with the experience.” With this in mind Mr Nice suddenly becomes very uninteresting. Let’s face it the “bad” guy often does seem like the more exciting option, introducing you to all kinds of new experiences. Yes, sometimes he might let you down, but he always keeps you on your toes and at least the relationship isn’t too comfortable or boring!

Bad boys are attractive in more ways than one. Most of them are confident- a trait us girls often associate with masculinity- a key factor in attractiveness. They are assertive, making a decision without care about the results. As stereotypical as it sounds, girls like to feel protected by the man that they are with and so “macho” men instantly become that little bit more handsome. The psychologist Seema Hingorrany would agree arguing that “women get the feeling that these ‘macho’ men can satisfy them better than the usual, run-of-the-mill kind of men would be able to.” As you can see, the confidence bad boys display gives the impression that they are some brooding sex god, which only goes to making them that all the more appealing!

There you have it then, the reasons why these guys are so ridiculously good-looking. Next time you meet a bad boy think about all the good ones out there. Is having your heart broken really worth it for a couple of fun nights out? As HCX quote of the week last weekend said: “Let the guy you like ruin your lipstick, not your macscara.” However, if you simply can’t resist a bad boy look for a Chuck Bass rather than a Volchuck!

Photo Credits:
Google Images

 

Georgie Hazell is a final year Anthropology and International Politics student at the University of Exeter, UK. Georgie became involved with Her Campus during her semester studying abroad at the College of William & Mary, along with Rocket (the campus fashion magazine), Trendspotters (the campus fashion TV show) and Tri Delta sorority. She hopes to pursue a career in media or marketing in the future. Georgie has a passion for travel and experiencing new cultures, and spent five months travelling the world on her Gap Year.