What qualities do you seek in a partner?

Weight; under 12 lbs
Toilet habits; tidy and predictable (never leaves seat up.)
Sleeping habits; Similar to mine
Cooking habits; Similar to mine
Reaction to crowds and noise; Irritation, like I feel.
Appearance; Neat, clean, shining black and white coat, whiskers that tickle rather than burn.
Intellect: Superior.
Exercise; Hates treadmill but happy to walk in the woods and drink from the stream..
Social skills; Fair.
Physical problems; Gets carsick as I do; hates to have nails clipped…that’s the only flaw in our relationship.

I look for a Republican female that is funny.

Or anyone named Milo.

@johnpowell: How about a Dem. female who is funny (you can get a twofer).

@johnpowell “Republican female that is funny”

Aren’t those two characteristics oxymoronic?

At the time I married my husband, I had declared that I had three must-have qualifications. He had none of the three.

He had many other things that were on my list: intelligent, great sense of humor, sexual chemistry, shared values.

He didn’t have other things I thought I needed: He has light hair (I like dark). He is slender, and I thought I had to have a big, bearlike guy.

It really is the whole package. Some things are surprises, but it’s all good.

As to whether we are alike in all things, no. I think that would be incredibly boring.

Must have some cooking abilities, or we’ll both starve. Must not be a health nut, since I’m all blubber. Must be okay with the fact I rarely want to talk politics. Is ambivalent or dislikes cats since I’m allergic. Has a passion and ambition. Is okay with not having kids.

I don’t consciously look for most of these things, but they are pretty much who grabs my interest nonetheless. Personality wise I’ve liked quite a lot of different types. Most of these characteristics are like me.

My boyfriend isn’t as good of a cook as I’d like, but he fits the other things.

Anyone that can carry a conversation and make me laugh and is fun to be around. Being polite but not FAKE polite is a good thing. And a beautiful genuine smile, aw.

Black, sleek exterior with a glowing apple on back.
Glorious full-screen brightness.

@johnpowell http://images.radcity.net/5942/2723585.jpg

There ya go. He’s called Milo (from BBC Tweenies)

Honest, strong work ethic, likes to dance, accepting of others/open-minded, can keep a conversation going, and a good sense of humor. Slightly more trivial and much less important, I prefer dark hair and at least 5’9” tall. This was my list in college (everyone made fun of dancing being important to me). I’ve been married for 16 years, and when I started dating my husband he had all of these qulaities and more I had not even thought of. We met a dance club by the way.

I look for someone who is VERY patient, he would have to be, to put up with my elaborate array of crap.

@JLeslie i agree – likes to dance, at least 5’9”, dark hair is super good thing :)

Quirky, compassionate, passionate, active, sarcastic, liberal, adventurous, always wanting to learn, into DIY, low maintenance and into outdoor activities. I don’t think this is too much to ask for, is it?.

@Ame_Evil: MIlo here; We are moderately amused by your link.

There are lots of qualities a person might desire in another person, but the more qualifications you add to your list, the harder it will be to find that special someone. Because of this, I try to distill all of my desires into several “must-have” qualities:

- Imaginative: What I mean by this is someone who can accept sci-fi and fantasy. I hate people who see a sci-fi movie and aren’t interested because it isn’t “real.” But this also refers to someone interested in art and making things. This quality goes together with…
– Intelligent: Doesn’t need help writing essays, reads books for fun and can think critically about philosophy, morals, politics, finances, etc
– Healthy: At my age (nearing 30), I don’t think I can “change” someone into a relatively healthy-eater or a person that exercises at least a couple of times a week
– Hygienic: This just means you keep your teeth and smelly parts clean, change your underwear everyday and your sheets more than twice a year.
– Empathetic: This includes not having a big ego. I find that I don’t get along well with people who only see their own problems and can’t understand other people’s problems. Plus, I think this quality makes you good with children.

I think the reason I’m hung up on these qualities is because concerning the first two, I don’t know many people like that but really want to. I hate being the smartest guy in the room who is always teaching stuff to other people. If my future wife was smarter than me, I would accept it as a blessing. For the most part, people are hygienic and healthy (less so for the latter), but when they are missing, I notice it immediately. Someone missing those qualities would get into clashes with my lifestyle all the time.

There are other minor qualities that would be nice, but I think I can deal with a person not having them. After all, partnerships are about compromise.

@gailcalled As soon as I started reading your list (hadn’t seen the avatar or name, I knew you were talking about Milo. Now, what is his idea of an ideal partner?

Mine would be:

Steadfast
Playful
Intelligent
Good sense of humor
Liberal
Open-minded
Able to grow
Affectionate

I didn’t get them all, but I got most of what I needed. It just took me a long time to figure that out!

First I can tell you what sorts of things don’t matter very much: height, weight, length/color of hair, symmetry of features, breast size, etc.

The sine qua non are accomplishment, intelligence, empathy, sense of humor, emotional availability, self-esteem, optimistic outlook.

Wants to make the world a better place. Is a creative person in one or another media. Is interesting. Loving. Sexy. Caring. Believes in cooperation. Wants to be a parent. Is fun to be with. Has interesting problems. Is committed to working through problems. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

The main thing I was interested in was if I felt comfortable being with him, and did we seem to have similar interests, and values.

@janbb: Milo here: My dream list.

Subservience
Docility
Lack of squeamishness
Ability to sit for long periods of time with both legs asleep
Skill with staunching bleeding
Pleasure garnered from a good chase through the woods
Willingness to sacrifice cashmere sweater for my napping needs.

@milo Sounds like you’‘ve found your perfect partner! Lucky you.

They must be funny and smart and passionate and excite me sexually and a great parent; someone who keeps promises, who is open minded, who is not materialistic, who is not obsessive or jealous or meek – someone steady and loving and supportive – I have all that in my partner or he wouldn’t be my partner

Educated, patient, non-demanding, even tempered, very affectionate, interesting, kind, understanding, not a neatnik, hygienic, healthy mentally and physically, gentle.
Less important but desirable: good dancer, blue eyes, tall, generous, not a picky eater, likes all kinds of household chores (uh-huh), Christian and into a healthy lifestyle.