Bad guys are more interesting
It's true – sort of. Bad guys are more interesting because they seem to be more interesting. Somewhere along the line, they've found a way to create an aura of mystery around themselves, which makes them a charming, sexy, puzzle – one that women find irresistible. When, in fact, women are simply being blinded by the signs.
First off, they're attracted to him because he's strikingly different to the dependable guy next door. They fall for his confidence, spontaneity, and maverick sensibilities. Dig a little deeper, however, and it's clear these qualities mask the fact he's manipulative, insensitive, and narcissistic – qualities known as the 'dark triad'. He's so dangerous he should carry a health warning.
Women love a challenge
It's the danger part of the bad boy that's the hook: women love a challenge. They see the damaged child inside the man, and believe they are the only ones who can make him better. They hope that he'll be so grateful, he'll love them forever. In essence, women believe the bad boy is really a good guy waiting to emerge, like a butterfly from a chrysalis.
They don't want to start with a good guy, but they want to end up with one. In fact, often, the damage is permanent – and the one who is going to suffer from that is the woman who tried to save him. Because most often the bad guy doesn't want to change, he wants to continue to behave badly.
Bad guys are good for affairs
Since bad guys have a flexible moral code and are darned attractive to boot, they are good for some things. Like affairs, for example. Research has shown that women prefer stable, loving, committed guys when it comes to raising a family, but when it comes to satisfying their fantasy life, they want a bad guy. It may seem perverse, but it's true.
Think Byron, Dracula, Colin Farrell, either of the Mitchell brothers. All bad boys – and while none of them may look much like long-term relationship material, you can bet they know how to enliven a dull afternoon.
The good bad guy
Ask many women, and they'll say their ideal man would be someone who had the characteristics of the bad guy and the good guy. In other words: someone who will love and support them, while also keeping things spicy in the bedroom.
It remains to be seen whether or not such a hybrid actually exists, since good guys and bad guys are so fundamentally different. But for the guys out there, bringing a little of the bad boy self-assurance and sense of adventure into the relationship (particularly the bedroom) is never a bad thing. Just be sure to leave the rest of him behind.