The things guys can do to be more attractive have almost nothing to do with your jawline. Women consistently say the most attractive traits in a man are thoughtfulness, being handy, and being the guy animals. Among other things. That’s the cheat code.
Now let’s talk about it.
There’s this beautiful irony about men. As Victoria Aveyard writes in Red Queen, “It’s our nature. We destroy… No matter the color of blood.”
And yet. We also go above and beyond to capture the attention of women. We want to love them, connect with them, and protect them. It’s the duality of man, and no, I’m not quoting Full Metal Jacket at you. Okay, maybe a little.
So if you’re single and trying to be more attractive to women on a level that goes deeper than the gym mirror selfie, this one’s for you. These aren’t pickup lines. These are character traits. Will Smith spent an entire movie called Hitch trying to teach guys this exact lesson, and somehow we still didn’t get it.
Here are six things women find extremely attractive in a man.
1. Be Thoughtful
A little bit of thoughtfulness goes a long way. Like, a stupid long way.
If you’re interested in someone, do the little things. Grab a snack or a drink for her when you’re getting one for yourself. It costs you nothing and it says everything.
The other day I got some free tickets to the museum. Instead of keeping them to myself, I grabbed a few extra and invited family along. That’s the move. Invite people into your life when you’re doing things.
And here’s the key: this isn’t just something you do for someone you’re trying to date. Do it in general. Thoughtfulness as a lifestyle, not a strategy. Women can smell the difference from a mile away.
2. Be the Guy Animals and Babies Love
Being nice to animals goes a long way. But when animals and babies automatically love you? That’s a certified green flag.
There’s a reason for this. Dogs and toddlers don’t care about your job title or your car. They respond to energy. If they trust you instantly, it signals something real about who you are when nobody’s performing.
You can’t fake this one.
3. Have a Plan
“I don’t know, what do you want to do?” has ended more situationships than cheating.
Planning and leading go a long way. You don’t need to be a control freak about it. Just come with an idea. Pick the restaurant. Map out the day trip. Handle the reservation.
Decisiveness is attractive because it shows you can carry weight. Nobody wants a partner they have to project-manage.
4. Fix Things. Be Handy.
Being able to fix things for people, build things, and generally be handy is one of the most quietly attractive things guys can do to be more attractive without saying a single word.
You don’t have to be a Property Bro. But that helps. When the shelf goes up straight, the leaky faucet stops leaking, or you assemble the IKEA dresser without the meltdown, you become the guy she gushes over. Being the guy people call is a very good place to be.
Competence is attractive. Full stop.
5. Keep Your Word
Let me say this one loud for the group chat.
Many relationships have ended on good intentions. But good intentions are just that. Intentions. They’re not actual things. Nobody can hug an intention.
When you say you’re going to do something and then you actually do it, you rack up serious brownie points. More importantly, you build trust. And trust is the whole foundation. Everything else is decoration. As a man you have two things. Your word and your… Don’t break them for nobody.
Flaky is not a personality trait. It’s a red flag with a nice smile.
6. Kindness Is the Cheat Code
Here’s the truth that gets buried under all the alpha male podcast noise: kindness is the most attractive thing a guy can display. Period.
Not niceness. Kindness. There’s a difference. Niceness is performative and wants a receipt. Kindness is who you are when there’s nothing to gain.
How you treat the waiter. How you talk about your ex. Whether you hold the door when nobody’s watching. She’s paying attention to all of it.
The Single Man’s Takeaway
If you’re single right now, here’s the play. Stop optimizing your dating profile for a week and start optimizing your character instead.
Be thoughtful without keeping score. Keep your word like it’s currency, because it is. Have a plan. Learn to fix something. Be kind when it doesn’t benefit you.
The things guys can do to be more attractive were never really secrets. Women have been telling us this whole time. We just weren’t listening.
Now you have no excuse.
