what do you look for in a girlfriend?, what qualities interest you? Options

[*disco infiltrator*]

I know there's been others, but they were really old. Yes, I know it's a duplicate topic, though I'm usually pretty lenient on that...

Anywho.
What qualities make you say "Hey, this girl might make a good girlfriend" right off the bat? What're you looking for? What interests/hobbies/general knowledge would you be looking at?

Please go into more than just looks or "funny and nice and smart". Otherwise, it's like, duh. Cute, funny, nice, smart - We all know people want that. But what do you want, individually?

[*mipadi*]

I liked this topic, but it kind of died down, so I think I am going to get it kick-started for Sammi.

I should preface this by saying that it was really tough to compile a list, and clearly, I don't feel a potential date must meet all of these requirements. I hesitate to even make a list of guidelines; but then again, I think to develop a good relationship, it's important to really note what you want. So I racked my brain and came up with a few basic, non-binding guidelines of what I like to see in young women. In no particular order:

• Fun. First and foremost, she has to be able to have a good time. Maybe this seems like an obvious trait, but I think a lot of time people really do overlook its importance. She can't be overly dramatic, or melodramatic. I'm a fairly relaxed person, and I like people who don't stress me out. I need to have a good time with her, be it something as simple as watching a DVD or playing Xbox. She should have a good sense of humor, too; note that making jokes herself is not a requirement, but being able to laugh and generally have a good time is.
  
  However, she should still be pretty mature, just not so mature that she forgets how much fun it is to be a kid.
• Not overly serious. Kind of goes along with being fun, but it's also important that she not be overly serious. Life is a big game, and people need to remember that. It's not that serious. Have fun while it lasts. Live in the present, not the past or the future.
• Intelligent. I like people I can talk to. It's cool if she's well-read, maybe able to engage in "philosophical" discussion or even debate. But I also don't want someone who goes out of her way to be intellectual. Those people are too fake. And to be honest, by smart, I mean that, given the option, I'd like the girl who can do integrals in her head, or talk about particle accelerators, or the Google computing cluster ( ), over one who is a "pseudo-intellectual". Hey, I like intellectual discussion, but I'm more of a math/science person myself, and I relate much better to people like that. (Not that the artsy-poetic types are bad...I just don't understand them. )
• Relaxed. I'm probably getting redundant, but a girl who is relaxed and at ease is key.
• Confident. Probably should be higher up on the list for emphasis, but recall that this list is not in any order. This is important. Confident people are much better at carrying themselves, and handle social interaction a lot better. They're also not whiny and bitchy and angsty towards life.
• Athletic. I like to run, move around, and so forth. She doesn't have to be a super athlete, of course, but I like people who keep themselves in shape. It also says a lot about her personality--staying in shape takes a lot of determination and discipline.
• Short. This is a minor one, but I'm not very tall, so I'd prefer a girl who isn't, like, six feet tall or something like that. Maybe it's a wee bit shallow of me, but I think we're all allotted a bit of shallowness from time to time.
• Similar interests. She doesn't need to be exactly like me, but we do need something to talk about, right? I love to learn about new things, so she should bring something new to the table, but if she knows what Linux is, or likes cars that go fast, or can recite the specs of the Xbox 360, or discuss the technological aspects of the Google computing cluster ( ), then she's okay in my book. (And yes, that's kind of nerdy, but...so am I, so I imagine she'd have to be, too.)