It may seem like all guys are jerks, and you're destined to settle for a guy who doesn't treat you well. "There are no nice guys" may be a mantra among you and your girlfriends, but it's simply not the case. And starting with your own way of thinking is the first step to busting that myth. Bad examples of how men should act are everywhere, from the media portraying men to be total dirtbags to even how you were raised. Consider what you were told about how men should treat women – if anything. Maybe your mom left out the part about cutting a guy loose if he wasn't nice to you. Perhaps you watched her being abused – either emotionally or physically – at the hands of a man and have internalized that this way is simply how it is. Think about when relationships begin. As you begin dating or even just interacting with boys in your early teens, they're still trying to figure out how to act in a relationship. If you stick with these immature guys into adulthood, then you may not know how a mature, adult guy in a relationship really should act.