Thought Catalog, a popular Internet website recently asked men worldwide on what makes a woman, ‘wife material’. Reactions such as ‘boyfriend’s biggest fan’ to ‘cooking’ evoked adverse reactions on the social media. the guide quizzed young men and women about what makes an ideal partner to test progressive thinking in the city
Mumbai Guide, Relationships, marriage, life partner, dating, Mumbaikars, Thought Catalog
Kale Shivanathan*
23, Musician
Is there a thing called an ‘ideal wife’? Please let me know where can I get one. What you are trying to ask is perhaps the qualities I would want in my partner, which is again very difficult to answer. Love is important, but I want her to be understanding, to respect people, and be open-minded towards change. I think these qualities are important because if you have that, the rest will follow.
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Dibyojyoti Saha
19, Student
At this stage it is tough to say what qualities I want in my wife but i would try to give some. She must be smart, selfless, attractive, love me unconditionally, responsible, and love my family. She must have ambition or goals that she would like to achieve. But the most important part is that she must be trustworthy. Even if she isn't smart or is unattractive, she must be trustworthy.
Rakesh Shah
28, Media professional
As I am a hyper person, she should be more understanding than me and gauge situations to help me understand them. I don’t want my wife to cook daily but whenever she does, it has to be better than what I will cook for her. I won’t spend much on shopping though she can earn and spend on herself; in fact, even spend on me. She should look after my parents when I am unavailable. No demands for a separate home since I can’t afford one in Mumbai nor can I leave my parents.
Kamal Nair
33, Scriptwriter
An ideal wife would be someone who understands my needs both for companionship and independance. We are living in times which are constantly changing. and the pressures on individuals are ever increasing. I would like someone who understands this and is willing to share the pressures with me. She should be able to put family before herself.
Mihir Gaitonde
30, Banker
I’d like my wife to be independent, ambitious, smart, mature, well-read and funny. She should be someone who isn’t judgemental, loves a good discussion about anything and has more sense than ego. She must respect other people’s views but also be able to make her own decisions.
Devi Shetty
37, IT Professional
Someone who is secure enough to not feel threatened if the wife is doing better than him professionally, someone who understands that she can have male and female friends, and someone who knows how to survive (read: cook and babysit) when she has to take work trips. He should be successful in his career, or at least be ambitious enough to be on top some day. All this and then if he can make me laugh, it would be perfect.
Niharika Tyagi
23, Designer
My ideal life partner should be a listener because I tend to discuss everything that happens around me so I would like a partner who not only listens but is involved in my day to day life. He should be able to communicate obviously as otherwise we would never stop fighting. Seriously, if both of us can’t tell each other what’s wrong, then it leads to pent up emotions. Gelling with family and friends is relatively important because family and friends are important people in your life before you get married.
*All names have been changed on request.