I've [28 M] never told any of my girlfriends the truth about my past

My BF has definitely done some things he isn't proud of and before we were dating, he wasn't in the best shape. He was in the process of getting his crap together when he met. I am so incredibly proud of how far he's come. I'm so incredibly in awe of what he has dealt with and overcome. His perseverance is something I love about him.

In the future, don't lie. You don't have to pour your heart out on the first date - or the second, or the tenth. But if something comes up and your instinct is to lie... don't. You don't have to get into details but a vague, "As a kid, I hung around some bad people and I got into some trouble but I learned my lesson and I've left all that behind me. And I'm really embarrassed and I don't like to talk about" should suffice. Be prepared that it might not and she might be curious and think the worst and you might have to explain a bit deeper. The thing is though, you've obviously overcome your past - no one you date is going to be worried that you criminal past will hurt your future. That's really all that matters.

/r/relationships Thread