Some people are lucky enough to meet a guy, fall in love and end up getting married to him. Some of us probably have to date three to four guys before finding the one. Others might even have to go through 20 different guys before they finally find that one person that they can click with, and then eventually fall in love with, and if they’re lucky enough, get married.
The hit TV show FRIENDS taught us millennials a lot about relationships, mostly by portraying every kind of guy you might potentially bump into in the real world. They might not all be sweet, but they’re not all out to break your heart either. Sometimes, he’s standing there right in front if you, but you haven’t looked at him that way yet. Either way, here are 10 types of guys are bound to come across in your twenties:
The one who made up a lie to get you in bed – Paul the wine guy
Paul lied to Monica saying that he wasn’t able to “perform” since his divorce, and even played her sensitive side by saying “I don’t normally say this on the first date”. Monica thought she was being sweet and encouraging by spending the night with him, only to find out that he’s been using that line to pretty much every girl that he had wanted to sleep with. So ladies, be careful when a guy tells you these things, you might want to investigate first and save yourself the embarrassment!
The one who wasn’t smart enough for you – Joey
Joey is the casanova who would only ever look at books if there were naked women in them. Over the course of his womanising years, Joey dated two very smart women, Charlie, who was a professor, and Katie, who was well-read. They found him extremely sweet and endearing at first, but his lack of intellect somehow caught up and things fizzled out. While Charlie broke up with him the right way, Katie sort of went behind his back and made out with Chandler because of the strong chemistry they had. Yes, you can be with someone because of their looks, but it will eventually fizzle out when you realise that the of you have absolutely nothing in common.
The one who always thought you were cheating on him – Ross
As much as we love Ross and how caring and loving and sensitive he is, we must admit that he gave Rachel a very hard time when they were going out. He constantly showed up at her office, making excuses, fearing that she was having an affair with her co-worker, Mark. Eventually, Rachel exploded and ask him for a break. That led to years of emotional turmoil and conflict between the two, and it wasn’t until six years later that they decided to give it another try.
The one who looked a lot like your ex – Russ
After Rachel and Ross broke up, Rachel introduced everyone to her new date, Russ, who was pretty much a carbon copy of Ross. The way he spoke, his choice of words, his demeanour, every resemblance was uncanny. Surprisingly, Rachel did not realise this, only her friends did, and they quickly warned her about it. It is normal and convenient for us to date someone very similar to our ex, especially after a break-up, because abrupt change is hard. But hey, that’s not fair to the new guy, and to yourself.
The one who’s perfect but you met him at the wrong time – Richard
So, he’s tall, handsome, got a successful career, can grow a full-on moustache, confident, witty; but he’s not in the same place as you are. Just when Monica thought she found “the one”, she also found out that Richard did not want to have kids because he’s already gone past that stage of life (Richard was the same age as her dad!). What made it even harder was that he really loved Monica as much as she loved him. But she did what she had to do, instead of dragging things on and making things harder for both of them, she talked to Richard about it and decided to end the relationship.
The one who was too young for you – Tag
Tag is the kind of guy that makes you want to cry because he’s so cute and adorable and you can’t have him. When you finally did have him, every morning was sunshine and chirping birds. Except that one day Rachel turned 30 and realised that she couldn’t be with someone in his mid-twenties, still hopping around on a razor scooter. He was still innocent and gullible, had a long way ahead of him and definitely not ready to be a father. So rightfully, Rachel ended things with him in pursuit of someone who was headed more in the direction that she was.
The one who is divorced and don’t want anything serious – Joshua
Sometimes you fall head over heels in love with the most gorgeous guy, only to find out that his divorce isn’t even final and he’s definitely not looking for anything serious, let alone be committed to you. But because he’s so damn fine, we pretend to be okay with that. One day it catches up with us, we lose our patience and ask him for much, much, more than he’s willing to give, and he walks away. Damn, doesn’t that hurt? There’s nothing wrong with dating a divorced man, but make sure both of you are clear about what you want.
The one from high school that you are so glad you did not date – Chip
There is not one person on this planet without an unrequited high-school crush or love. Even though you’re well into your adulthood now, dating someone else or happily married; there’s always a bit of that “what if I had dated him” moment that hits you every now and then. It could have been good, or it could have been a colossal disappointment, I guess we’ll never know. In Monica’s case, it was the latter.
In her late 20s, Monica was uber excited when her high-school-crush Chip Matthews asked her out. But throughout the date, Monica realised that she couldn’t be with someone who still worked at a movie theatre and took pleasure in giving his former high-school mates a wedgie. And oh, he still lived with his parents too.
The one that didn’t seem like boyfriend material but turned out to be the perfect guy – Chandler Bing
The love between Monica and Chandler (a love based on giving and receiving, as well as having and sharing!) was one that we envied the most. We started out thinking Chandler is this lame guy making jokes all the time, but by season 8 we all wanted a boyfriend like him! Theirs wasn’t love at first sight, it wasn’t based on chemistry or attraction, it happened after six long years of being friends, understanding, and getting used to each other. Monica accepted Chandler and his goofiness, while Chandler accepted Monica’s obsession with cleaning and organising. They have fights, they resolve them and move on, and they never give up on each other. When Chandler was willing to give up his life savings so Monica could have the big wedding she’s always dreamed of, we knew no one could make her happier than Chandler can!
The one who swore off marriage but then changed his mind for you – Mike
The last wedding in the season finale was Mike’s and Phoebe’s. We didn’t think they’d end up getting married, it was a complete fiasco. They had broken up because Mike made it clear that marriage is not for him, Phoebe wanted to get married so bad, and then David (Phoebe’s ex-boyfriend) came back into the picture to complicate things further. Eventually, Mike realised that he loved Phoebe too much to let her go, and he was willing to change his mind about marriage if that is the only way back to her heart. So then they became Mr. & Mrs. Mike Hannigan in a beautiful snowy wedding just outside of Central Perk, and well, lived happily ever after.
