We’ve all dated our share of assholes, ladies. You might think that all those months you spent dating Mr. Wrong were a waste of time, but there are plenty of reasons to date the wrong guy for a while – and if you end up with enough of the wrong type, you’ll eventually discover what the “right” type means for you, and when he turns up, you won’t miss the opportunity.  Promise.

1. The more you say “no”, the closer you get to that “yes”. The law of average states that you need to say no for a while in order to get closer to a yes. You need to kiss a few frogs before you’ll meet your prince – and some of those frogs will be total assholes. Asshole frogs are important, though – they’ll help you spot a great guy when he comes along.

2. You’ll appreciate the right guy when you meet him. The man who actually puts effort in and makes you one of the priorities in his life will stand out if you’re fresh out of a relationship where the guy couldn’t put forth effort to save his life. If you’re off the heels of a lazy relationship, one where you instead feel appreciated and pursued will not be taken for granted. Aren’t you glad Mr. Wrong taught you what a real man looks like? Hint: It wasn’t him, but you figured that out.

3. You’ll figure out what you actually want. Everyone’s definition of a bad relationship looks different. When you date the wrong guys, you learn what it was about them that bothered you and you’ll come to realize what it was they did that made you want to rage text, and why. From learning what your true dealbreakers are, meeting Mr. Right will be that much easier, because now you know what you just can’t stand.

4. You’ll develop higher standards. Being picky is a good thing – it gives you an advantage in the dating game and shows men that you’re a catch who won’t stand for anything less than what she deserves. It proves that you’re not easy to get, and that he should place a high value on winning you over. When you’re choosy, you also end up with a man who treats you right because you have no problem walking away from the guys who are too senseless to treat you like shit.

5. The nice guy gets closer to the finish line. In the end, we all want to date a nice guy. Sure, sometimes we can’t help being attracted to bad boys, but the thing about bad boys is they eventually become viewed as totally lame instead of sexy. Date enough assholes and you’ll ultimately be ready for a nice guy. First, you have to be really sick of dating jerks. Get them out of your system, and sooner or later you’ll be turned off by bad-boy behavior altogether.

6. You learn how to pick your battles. Sometimes, when you’re blindly dating a guy who’s completely wrong for you, it seems like he does everything wrong. This forces you to pick your battles, because let’s face it – you can’t get mad about every little thing. The beauty of this is learning what you’re willing to let slide. After all, no guy wants to date someone who is too high maintenance or demanding. Letting certain things go is important, but never let it go if someone really disrespects you.

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