Well, to be clear, I don't like people who are totally mean and have no redeeming qualities. Maybe it's just that there's a fine line between a guy who is a confident, non-pushover, and a guy who is just kind of a jerk.. And maybe there isn't even a line in most cases, just a matter of perspective. Anyway, I just really like someone who is assertive, confident, ambitious, and who won't take my bullshit, and I guess I prefer to err on the side of jerkiness.

Speaking of my bullshit.. yeah, another commenter itt suggested that maybe I'm an asshole, and maybe they're right? I dated a guy in high school who was very kind to me and always did everything I wanted, but that felt really, I don't know, unstable? Like, there was a chance I wasn't making the best decisions and there was no one to spot check me. So over time, I became meaner and meaner in a semi-conscious attempt to find out where his lines were, when he would start sticking up for himself. He never really did. I couldn't stand it - I couldn't stand that he didn't stand up for himself, and I couldn't stand that I'd become mean. So I broke up with him, which I think was for the best.

I know there are perfectly nice people who also stand up for themselves, are confident, etc etc etc, but they also tend to be a little older and more mature (I think younger people are still figuring themselves out). So in my younger, dating days, I just went for the guys who were a bit more asshole-ish than the rest. I think I hit a good middle ground with the guy I married. Treats others pretty well, treats me very well, but isn't a pushover either. He can also be cut-throat when he needs to be, which I like.