People often ask me what makes modern dating so difficult?

Or more broadly, what are the factors that get in the way of relationship

formation these days?

In today's episode, we're going to look at those factors

so you can modify your approach when needed

and hopefully increase your chances of finding the types of

relationships that you desire. Welcome back to savvy psychologist. I'm your

host Dr. Monica Johnson. Every week on this show, I'll help you face life's challenges

with evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear,

and zero judgment.

So first off, I want to talk about unrealistic expectations.

The first aspect that I'll dig into is perfectionism.

If we end up expecting a perfect partner or relationship, this can lead to

dissatisfaction and missed opportunities. People often hold out for an ideal that doesn't really exist. This may be an ideal that is

perpetuated by our favorite TV show or social media app. For example, you might want to date a guy who makes 200K a year

and is 6 foot 4 inches tall.

However, the problem with that

is that the median income in the US is closer to 75K a year,

and the average height of a male in the United States is 5 foot 9. I'm not saying that it can't happen for you. I'm saying that if you

want to actually increase your chances of finding a person who matches your

values and will potentially treat you like you want to be treated in a relationship,

you may want to broaden your search criteria to include those that are closer to the average.

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