London - Bad boys may have an irresistible appeal in the movies – but that isn’t actually the case in real life, a study suggests.
Being humble marks you out as a good partner, while arrogance and egotism are turn-offs, it showed.
The findings will reassure men who feel more like the stuttering, bumbling character played by Hugh Grant in Four Weddings And A Funeral than James Bond.
Being humble means people can “overcome desires for power and superiority” and put their partner first, the US psychologists said.
“Humility is important for both the formation and repair of romantic relationships,” added lead author Dr Daryl Van Tongeren, of Hope College in Michigan.
The research, in the Journal of Positive Psychology, involved two studies in which volunteers rated internet dating profiles created by the team.
Both men and women gave much higher ratings to a humble profile than an arrogant one. A third study, of people in relationships, found that those who saw their partner as humble were more likely to forgive them.
Humble people “quickly see their partner’s point of view, express remorse and attempt to rebuild the relationship”, the authors said. - Daily Mail