I know what you think I would say is #1. Beauty and also that she is sexy. Beauty is a given but it is also in the eye of the beholder. If you showed 100 men 10 different pictures of women you would get a range of different opinions about who is beautiful and and sexy and who is not. So yes, beauty and sexiness are important to a man, but his idea of beautiful is not something we can pinpoint.
Honest
Honesty is a quality that is consistently sought by every man looking for a serious relationship. Honesty means that the woman is trustworthy. Relationships are all about trust. You have to be able to count on this person with your keys, your secrets and your love and you need to know that she will care for them at her highest ability. Also you want to know that she is honest with you when she tells you things. If a man has to always worry about his woman’s character, he will never be happy with her. This is even if she is the most beautiful woman in the world.
Respectful
How a woman presents herself to people that are in their circle is very important. A man wants to know that his woman is respectful when it is appropriate and that she has no problem humbling herself when it is the right things to do. This particularly includes things like social media where so many women have different personalities from their real lives. No man wants to have his woman constantly engaged in back and forth with strangers and using profanity and downgrading others to get her point across.
Affectionate
Most men are physical and love physicality. For this reason they appreciate a woman who is not afraid to initiate touch. Just like women love, we want a woman to reach out and grab our hand; we want for you to come over and kiss us randomly; we want for you to hug us and ask us how our day was. It makes feel love and wanted.
Give me your opinion in the comments about whether you agree, disagree, or want to add something else.
#1 quality, fertility. That is if he wants children. What most men don't realize is that we can get about anything we want in life by being successful. The mating dance humans display is extremely complicated. It is further complicated by a woman's deception. The right clothing and makup can turn an ugly duckling into a swan. The exposure of the Hollywood casting couch is a good example of how both men and women manipulate each other. An ugly producer gets another notch in his headboard and a starlet gets a million dollar contract. I think that this example is played out in many relationships. There's a reason they call it the oldest occupation. Not to say that both participants don't benefit from an equitable arrangement. Both have a more secure existence if a true commitment is made. I wish I knew all of this when I was younger, perhaps I did but the delusion of romantic love clouded my thinking and the desire to reproduce fed that flames that ended up burning up us both. The state contract is easily broken and in the end probably cheapens the commitment because both parties know this.
I like your point but do you think that most men ask a woman is she capable and desires to have kids early on? That seems like a question that gets going later after a relationship might be established. Not really sure there. And most guys do not have enough money to lure a woman to him but you see some pretty plain guys with beautiful women all the time. Men definitely get their judgement clouded and so do women leading to lots of divorces.
Many of date begin on dating sights. Most profiles include question about marriage, children, etc. One question you can use is: "do you believe in love at first sight?". It seems a harmless question but it revieals important information. Is your prospect a realist or idealist. Another caution to consider, especially if you have money, is that some tell you what they think you want to hear. You must remember that all relationship's are investments. Some pay, some cost. It's your decision when to call it quits. Having an open eye to this can direct you to healthy relationships. I have found that people who live in reality are easier to relate with. I can speak honestly with them, find their expectations of me and negotiate weather or not I can meet those demands. The opposite applies as well. Life is short, too short to waste is distructive endeavors. Time lost can never be recouped. Sounds cold I know but saying no, especially to yourself is freeing.
I agree with you that all relationships are an investment and we all need to look at it that way. However it is an investment that is difficult to determine sometimes whether it will pay off or not. The key is as you say, to be honest with yourself about you and the person you are dating. This way you never really get surprised. Speaking as someone who has been in a ling term relationship and am exceptionally happy, I can say it all comes down to communication. We are very different in age, culture and many other things, but we have an agreement to talk about whatever is bothering us. It took some time to get this to really happen but now it works. Mostly because we both respect each other and want the relationship to be on solid ground. And also we are clear about what we each want and what the other wants. And finally, what the other wants we each want for that person. Not easy but the alternative which is getting ont he dating merry go round, is much more challenging in my humble opinion.