Men of 'The Golden Bachelorette' share qualities they're looking for in a partner
When it comes to love, some of the qualities that the men of the "Golden Bachelorette" are looking for in a partner include kindness, humor and compatibility.
Ahead of Joan Vassos’ season of the "Golden Bachelorette," some of the men vying for her heart told "Good Morning America" shared what they’re looking for most in a partner.
Read more about the men competing for Vassos' heart below.
William "Bill," 68, a retired videographer from Portland, Oregon
"To me, the most important thing to look for in a partner is open and honest communication," Bill said. "I want someone that I can say anything to. I want to be able to be vulnerable and wear my heart on my sleeve."
"Because I think when you have that, it builds loyalty and trust," he continued. "And when you have trust, it’s a great way to resolve conflict. I’ll never forget my dad giving me advice on what makes for a long, successful marriage, and he said, ‘Never go to bed angry.’ Man, I’ll never forget that. That’s why I think communication is so important, because when you have that loyalty and trust, it easily resolves any conflict you might have."
Charles "Chock," 60, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas
"The number one thing for me is a simple, one word. It’s called compatibility," Chock said. "It is so important especially at our age, where you want to be able to live with that person, love that person, love their family, spend all your time with them and grow old together. So it’s just simply compatibility."
Charles L., 66, a retired financial analyst from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"Intelligence," Charles L. said. "The number one trait I look for in a partner is intelligence because we can grow and learn together and challenge each other everyday."
Charles K. "CK," 62, a portfolio manager from Rancho Palos Verdes, California
"One word that resonates with me in any love relationship is reciprocity," CK said. "With reciprocity comes love and kindness and thoughtfulness. But more importantly than anything, is respect and attraction."
"When those virtues are embodied in two individuals, it forms an amazing symbiotic relationship and creates an even exchange of human value," he added.
Christopher, 64, a contractor from West Babylon, New York
"The ingredients to having a successful relationship is honesty," Christopher said. "You have to be honest on all levels."
Daniel "Dan," a private investor from Naples, Florida
"Communication is the most important thing in a relationship," Dan said. "It’s the cornerstone and a path to lead to so many other things that are critical: forgiveness, compatibility, truthfulness, openness. It makes the laughs better, makes the romance better. It makes the tough times a little easier, and it makes the good times even better."
David, 68, a rancher from Austin, Texas
"Chemistry is by far the most important thing in a relationship, hands down," David said. "Chemistry is something that you can’t develop over time, over weeks or months. It can’t percolate."
"When you walk into the room and you have chemistry with somebody, you know it, when those pheromones are on fire, when they line up, it’s a chemical reaction to that person and you know it," he continued. "They can be carrying on a conversation about their life's story and you don’t hear a word they’re saying. All you can think about is your lust and desire for that person. I mean, what is more important?"
"You can be best friends, you can go to movies, you can have the same interests and go paddleboarding, but at the end of the day, if you don’t have chemistry and you have no strong sexual connection, what do you have?" David added. "I mean, isn’t that the glue that binds us?"
Gary, 65, a retired executive from Palm Desert, California
"The one thing that is the most important thing to me is someone who complements me in a partnership," Gary said. "[A] partner who is kind and loving and caring. My faith is very important, so she has to be a God fearing woman, which is so, so very important to me and my faith and my belief. And so those things are all extremely important to me and something I think that would create success in a marriage and in a relationship. Did you get this? Here I am."
Gil, 60, an educator from Mission Viejo, California
"Confidence is very attractive," Gil said. "A confident woman, now that’s hot."
"Confidence is important in a partner because a confident partner will be respectful and kind to others," he added. "It’s important my partner has confidence to be secure in communicating what she wants in a relationship and in life."
Greg, 64, a retired university VP from Longboat Key, Florida
"Interest. For me, the most important thing to look for in a prospective partner is interest defined by a desire to learn about something or someone," Greg said. "And I think it’s the necessary precursor for everything that’s important in building a meaningful relationship, including understanding, empathy, compassion, affection, friendship and even love."
"When you add the suffixes ‘ing’ or ‘ed,’ you find a couple that are both interested in each other and interesting -- this curiosity to learn about each other and continue to grow individually, but also grow together as a couple."
Guy, 66, an ER doctor from Reno, Nevada
Guy says he looks for the five C’s in a relationship: Commitment, compatibility, communication, caring and compromise.
"There must be open and honest communication between each of the individuals," he said. "They must be fully committed to each other in their relationship. In addition, they need to share similar interests and values, they need to care about one another."
"And finally, there must be compromise for them to be able to blend each of their previous lives," he added. "I believe this is the foundation to a solid relationship."
Jonathan, 61, a shipping consultant from Oakland, Iowa
For Jonathan, authenticity in a partner is the one thing he’s looking for.
"I want my partner to be who she is with me," he said. "I want her to be open, honest, vulnerable, compassionate, loving, kind, sincere, giving -- all of those things that I find in myself I want to be able to give to her and for her to give to me."
"And so if we have those kind of qualities in a relationship, we’ll have a relationship that will thrive and flourish in good times and bad times," he added. "We’ll have an authentic love and that’s really, really important to me."
Jordan, 61, a sales manager from Chicago, Illinois
"Compatibility," Jordan said. "To me, the most important thing to look for in a partner is, ‘Are we compatible?’ Because that supersedes all the other elements necessary for a successful relationship."
"You can be in love, you can have amazing chemistry, you can communicate well, but if you’re not compatible on things like beliefs, values, lifestyle, the way you look at the world, it’s going to be very difficult to make it the distance in any sort of relationship," he added.
"There’s a quote from a movie I love," Jordan recalled. "It goes like this: ‘A bird might love a fish, but where would they build a home?' They need to be compatible. So to me, it’s compatibility."
Keith, 62, a girl dad from San Jose, California
"A positive attitude is such a valuable trait in a relationship and I feel that it’s a building block, a foundation for a long-lasting life with someone special," Keith said. "If you can find that special someone that has a zest for life, who approaches love with enthusiasm, it’s contagious, it’s [infectious] and it just makes that much more of an exciting life together."
"In relationships, we all have our issues and obstacles that we need to overcome, but if you have a positive outlook, you’re going to approach it with less judgment," he continued. "You’re going to have more empathy, more understanding and then the resolution is a positive path forward, instead of looking at the negativity of the past."
"Positivity is not just a trait, but it’s a way of life," he added. "And falling in love with somebody who has a positive attitude toward love, who has a positive attitude toward life -- your relationship is going to be filled with joy. If you find someone who has a zest for life, it’s always going to be a constant reminder that life is supposed to be a beautiful adventure shared with somebody special. And what’s not to love about that?"
Mark, an army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana
"Kindness is the most important thing to look for in a partner," Mark said. "I mean, who wants to be stranded on a deserted island with somebody who isn’t kind?"
"It’s important that your partner is kind," he continued. "Not everyone has a great day every day, and it’s important that your partner will see that in you and in others and that they’re willing to step in to make that gray sky blue once again."
"Everybody deserves that," he added.
Michael, 65, a retired banking CEO from Denver, North Carolina
"Chemistry is the most important thing to look for in a partner," Michael said. "I don’t see how you can have a mutually satisfying relationship without it."
He continued, "Chemistry is hard to describe, but you know when it’s there, [it] starts as an ember of spark, transitions to a roaring blaze and if you’re lucky, settles into a nice cozy fire. Sometimes, those are reversed, but fire’s always involved."
Pascal, 69, a salon owner from Chicago, Illinois
"Honesty is the most important thing to look into a partner," Pascal said. "Show respect to each other, having integrity and self awareness."
"Honesty is ... be vulnerable, transparent and authentic," he added. "Those are the base of a healthy relationship. So honesty, let’s start with that."
Ralph "RJ," 66, a financial advisor from Irvine, California
"Humor," RJ said. "I’d like to go through the rest of my life laughing at the world with my partner every single day.
Thomas, 62, a fire department chief from New York, New York
"What’s the number one thing I’m looking for in a partner? Probably arrogance," Thomas said before explaining why.
"I want a woman who’s better than me, who knows she’s better than me, has no respect for me. Someone who’s taller, smarter, more athletic, someone who’s embarrassed to introduce me as their partner because they know they could do better. Until one day they realize this is the best they can do," he said. "And then mic drop!"
"The Golden Bachelorette" premieres Sept. 18 on ABC.
