Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Well, wherever he is I’m just fine with him staying far away from me. Romeo and Juliet is regarded as one of the greatest love stories of all time. It has been used in poems and love songs over and over; the word Romeo almost becoming a synonym for a romantic man. I hate to break it to you, but it’s really not a story about love at all. In fact, the so-called tragic hero is precisely what not to look for in a partner. Here are just some reasons why I’m okay with not finding my Romeo and why you should be too…

A Romeo is fickle

In a relationship, stability is important. A boy who jumps from girl to girl is someone who can leave your relationship on shaky ground. A Romeo is more focused on finding the Mrs. Right-Now rather than Mrs. Right and although you may be his world one minute, he’ll drop you in a hot second when something better comes along. His habit of looking for the next best thing will open a door to infidelity and heartache.

A Romeo does not get along with your family

As silly as it may sound, this is important. If your significant other and your family and friends do not get along, it can make life difficult. More to the point, if your family and friends really don’t like your partner, there is probably a reason. A Romeo does not only butt heads with your family or friends, but he most likely makes no effort to attempt to get along with them. To him, it’s not important. He has you, what more does he need?

A Romeo is unreliable

When the going gets tough, a Romeo gets going in the opposite direction. At the first sign of trouble, a Romeo will split. Like I said before, he’s only interested in the here and now. A Romeo will not sit up with you at night when you can’t sleep or hold your hand while you cry. He will not stick around to work through the rough patches. When the relationship stops being fun, he’s gone.

A Romeo is emotionally stunted

A Romeo doesn’t know how to handle himself and while a healthy dose of emotion is a good thing, this guy is all over the map. He is impulsive and thrives on positive feedback. Any blow to his ego is far more than a Romeo can handle. Overly dramatic declarations of love or on the other side of the spectrum, a complete lack of affection, are tools a Romeo uses to manipulate rather than to connect with his partners. A Romeo is not equipped to offer you any type of emotional support and you will be expected to give him all of yours.

A Romeo doesn’t encourage you to be your best

He is content to let you stay stuck exactly where you are in life. Even more, he may be threatened by your success. A Romeo does not encourage you to pursue your passions and talents to further yourself because he wants you to stay under his thumb.

He may even attempt to stop you from doing the things you want like studying abroad or trying out a new internship. He will camouflage his attempts to stifle you with declarations of love or fear.

I’m okay with not having a Romeo of my own. I’d much rather have a real partner. Someone who I can rely on and share my dreams and fears, insecurities and triumphs with. I want someone who is going to be there through the good and bad.

Someone who will want to get to know my friends and family, not because he has to, but because he genuinely wants to know everything he can about my life. I’m okay waiting for that special someone who I can make a real love story with, not one littered with red flags. So in the future, if you hear someone be described as a “real Romeo", run away as fast as you can.