Bad manners red flag for women but more men value good looks, poll suggests

Bad manners are more off-putting for women than men when it comes to a partner’s qualities while males value good looks more highly than females, according to a survey.

Honesty, kindness and friendship were the top so-called green flags for both men and women in things they look for in a partner.

But more men cited intelligence and good looks as important qualities for their partner to have, the survey of just over 2,000 young adults in the UK found.

More women than men said put-downs from a partner – whether in public or private – and being flirty were red flags.

While almost six in 10 women (57%) said a partner having bad manners was a red flag, this was closer to four in 10 men (43%).

Good looks in a partner were rated very important by 35% of men compared with just 23% of women.

While 40% of men said intelligence in a partner was a green flag, this was 37% for women.

Harry Benson, from Marriage Foundation which commissioned the polling, said: “Some of these findings might seem unsurprising, like the desire for a partner to be kind and honest but others, such as the need for a partner to have good manners, identified by over two-thirds of women and more than half of men, were something of a shock.

“Indeed, some surveys have suggested that traditional manners were seen as old-fashioned, even outdated, but as our data clearly shows, if you want to attract a partner, you had better be kind and watch your Ps and Qs.”

– Whitestone Insight surveyed 2,008 UK heterosexual adults aged under 35 in May this year.