There’s something about that bad boy swagger that makes every girl’s heart skip a beat. Even if a girl swears she is never going to fall for him, at one point in her life, she is bound to fall victim to feels. He is everything your mother warned you about and everything your father hates. Friends warn you and every cliché teen movie has told you not to go down that path. Unfortunately, most girls find the basis of their decision making in emotions rather than logic, so we follow our sometimes misguided hearts and fall for the bad boy. While the true reason girls are drawn to Mr. Trouble remain unknown, here a few good starting points to understand the attraction.

The Adventure

One of the best things about dating or hooking up with this kind of guy is the excitement he will bring to your life. He didn’t get a reputation for being bad or reckless without doing some crazy stuff in his life. Maybe it’s that he drives a motorcycle, has a bunch of tattoos, or dropped out of college to pursue his music career. Whatever it may be, the adrenaline rush that comes from being with him and being a part of his adventurous lifestyle is a definite factor in a girl’s attraction to them.

He’s a Challenge

There is a long-standing stereotype, myth, assumption, whatever you choose to call it, that girls are always out to “fix” a guy. It seems to be some part of the female subconscious that makes us drawn to the bad boy solely to see if we can be the one that fixes him. To be known as the one that made the bad boy turn into prince charming is a badge of honor to some girls. That seems like an odd desire to have, but in girl logic it translates to her having something all the others didn’t. She was the winner. Sure, it is kind of a weird and twisty reason to go for a guy, but let’s be honest, most of the reasoning done by girls can be a little weird and twisty at times.

We are trying to get over someone/make someone jealous

If a girl just got dumped by the sweetest guy ever, who was the perfect one to take home to meet the parents and his last name worked perfectly with her monogram, there is bound to be wine and Ben and Jerry’s involved in the following days. However, once the girl has changed out of her ice cream and wine stained sweats, she’s ready to get back out there. As great a moving on sounds though, most girls still spend the weeks post break up trying to show the ex that she is doing great and enjoying life without him. In comes the bad boy. The rule-breaking guy with mysterious eyes seems like the perfect in-your-face to your ex. Post a picture of you and the new guy on all forms of social media where your ex is bound to see is every girls attempt at getting him to think, “Damn I messed up.”

* Jury is still out on whether this really works though.

We want to change something about ourselves

Before that last phrase makes girls jump up in protest, I’m not talk about a Sandy in the end of Grease change, so take a breather. When I say we want to change something about ourselves, it’s more of an internal change. Maybe we feel that our life has been kind of dull and could use some thrill or maybe we feel that we play it too safe and are missing out on life’s great adventures. For some reason or another, girls think dating the bad boy is the breath of fresh air they need; the one that will get them out of a rut or funk. So we go for the bad boy and we live life on the edge for a little, and in the end, either find a new wild side to ourselves or realize sometimes it is better to watch from the sidelines rather than be in the heart of the action.

The Scandal

One reason that most girls have for being attracted to the bad boy, but will never admit, is the excitement of the scandal it will cause. Maybe you’re known for always making the safe choice in love, life, work, etc. and you’re finally ready to shake that image, so dating someone wild and adventurous seems like a natural step. Dating or being associated with the resident man of mystery and adventure will create buzz no matter who you are, but in this case, along with the buzz, will come shock. Sure, being talked about is usually not a good thing, but in this case, being talked about is breaking down an image you want to shed and creating a new one where you are a badass.

Just like the bad boy persona is hopefully a phase for the guy, falling for the bad boy is a phase in most girls’ lives. Most girls can hear the phrase and someone will instantly pop in their head. The guy they met in college or at the bar one night that drew them in with the promise of adventure and excitement. Unfortunately, things rarely pan out with the bad boy, those that want to change them can't and end up getting hurt in the end. Still, for some strange reason, girls still haven't learned that if someone is usually associated with the word "trouble" or the phrase "stay away" you probably should listen (it will save you tears and money spent on ice cream).