Now hear me out. Would you date a guy who used to stink or didn’t practice proper hygiene? No, I’m not “asking for a friend.” It occurred to me (and many of you I’m sure) that there are those of us who don’t exactly keep ourselves very clean.
It can range from bad breath to borderline refusing to wear deodorant. Now this isn’t something exclusive to men. I’ve met plenty of women who suffer from poor hygiene habits as well. That article is for another day. Today, we’re focusing on the male species.
So, say you spot this wonderfully attractive guy while at the bar one night. All evening, the two of you try to communicate telepathically that you’re interested in one another from afar. You finally manage to snag his attention. He smiles this gorgeous, porcelain-set smile and begins to approach you.
His stench introduces itself to you before he has a chance to close in.
You begin to sweat, red lights begin flashing, the beautiful stranger begins to morph into one of the zombies from “Thriller.” You find a way to excuse yourself from the bar just before he reaches your seat. What wasted potential, right? You tell a couple of your girlfriends about him before you make a hasty retreat. Now that they know he stinks, he’s a goner.
Now say one of this dude’s homeboys calls him out on his funk (or God forbid his own mother). He reminisces on the night when he tried to approach you, but you sprouted wings and flew for the nearest exit. He realizes maybe he needs to get himself together before he tries to approach another woman (or man, whatever).
If you ran into him again, would you date him? Would you even allow him to approach you? What would be going on through your mind the next time you saw him? This time around, he smells quite delectable, his skin looks better, and he’s even started ironing his T-shirts. Would your first encounter with him still dull his new shine in your mind?
Look, first impressions are everything, right? From a personal standpoint, I’m not saying the dude is doomed to be alone forever. We all have our faults. However, some would still be repulsed by his stinky history. Others would be willing to give him a second chance.
Which one are you?