Italian Men
It’s no secret: women go crazy for Italian men! Although everyone is different, stereotypes do exist for a reason—and there is no shortage of stereotypes for Italian men! So what can you expect if you’re thinking about dating an Italian man? Below we will explain 4 of the most commonly cited personality traits of Italian men and give our thoughts on the pros and cons of each quality!
1“Italian men are Mama’s boys”
What does this mean? It’s true that a lot of Italian families are enormous, close-knit, and include tight bonds between mothers and sons. No matter how tough he seems on the outside, many Italian sons will go to their mothers for advice on everything and may rely on their moms for things that you might expect a grown man to take care of himself.
Pros
If he’s close with his family and mother, you can rest assured knowing that he has an established support system and that he values having a lot of loving relationships in his life. Assuming the family embraces you, you will have a lot of fun at family events and you will enjoy knowing that you and he will have a strong foundation if your relationship develops into marriage and children. His love for his mother will extend to you if you become a mother, and he will be fiercely respectful and appreciative of how important you are to the family.
Cons
If your Italian guy’s mom doesn’t like you, you’re in trouble! While he probably won’t break up with you just because his mom doesn’t like you, it will cause him deep hurt and strain to know the two most important women in his life don’t get along. If she criticizes you, he may not stand up for you as definitively as you want since he doesn’t want to go against his mother. On the other hand, even if you and his mom get along famously, you should be prepared for feeling like she is overstepping her boundaries. Even though her behavior is out of deep love for him, she may try to control what he wears or how he acts and what he spends money on. You may feel frustrated and that you are dating him and his mother, especially if you feel like he goes to her for advice when you want him to come to you when he’s struggling with something. As long as you discuss your boundaries and feelings with him (and her!), it can be managed, but you may experience bouts of frustration if your own family has a very different dynamic.
2“Italian Guys are charming”
Italian guys are known for making grand gestures to the women they are dating, but they are also known to continue being charming with all women even when they are in a relationship. Flirtation with other women isn’t seen as a breach of loyalty, it is just seen as natural, fun, and harmless.
Pros
Italian men love to be complimentary and flirtatious, so you can expect to swoon over some of the magical things he says to you. He will make you feel like a gorgeous prize that he will protect, ravish, and cherish. Plus, that adorable twinkle in his eye will never go away!
Cons
His flirtations and compliments will be awesome when they are directed at you, but sometimes they will extend to other women! If you can wrap your brain around the idea that his flirtations with other women are harmless and don’t mean he wants to cheat on you, you may be okay with it. However, if you are a super jealous person, you may not be able to deal with his Casanova behavior in the long run!
3“Italian men are overprotective”
Italian men often have “traditional” views of men and women’s roles. In this sense, Italian men are often quick to decide other men are a threat and will react accordingly.
Pros
It’s great to feel cherished and loved. Your Italian man will never make you feel like he would be okay if he lost you to another man. It can be flattering and comforting to know he would never let anything happen to you while he’s around.
Cons
Overprotective can be a euphemism for controlling. He may not like if you smile at another guy and he may get into a fight to “defend your honor.” If you are very independent or like to flirt harmlessly, it can feel constricting and tiresome to date a guy who has one eye on you and the other on the look out for perceived threats.
4“Italian men are loud and dominating”
A lot of Italian guys have huge personalities, booming voices, and love to be the center of attention.
Pros
Italian men are also known for their amazing sense of humor, so be prepared to be in pain from laughing at how amazingly he can entertain a group of people. He won’t be afraid to break the ice and tell a loud funny story and you will beam with pride when you see how much everyone enjoys him.
Cons
If he loves to make people laugh and be the center of attention, be prepared that he may sacrifice common etiquette to beat other people to the punch line. He won’t be afraid to interrupt someone or speak louder in order to be heard and claim everyone’s attention. If you are shy and very polite, you may be embarrassed by his boisterous behavior if he is rude to other people in the process of being the life of the party. You might find yourself frustrated if you have to quietly apologize to people who he interrupts, but if you can keep his good intentions in mind, you may decide it’s not a problem at all!
If you’re not Italian yourself, keep in mind that dating outside of your cultural norms requires some adjustment. This can be an awesome journey, but it also requires you to understand that you won’t be able to change him if you are annoyed by a trait that is deeply ingrained in his identity. Although stereotypes are often correct to some degree, don’t forget that everyone is unique and you shouldn’t have expectations or demands of someone just because they identify as part of a certain group. Basically, if you decide you want to date an Italian man only because you love pizza and pasta and hope his family is like the cast of The Sopranos, be prepared that you may be disappointed!
