Why Do Women Waste Their Time Waiting For Men To Commit?

Why Do Women Waste Their Time Waiting For Men To Commit?
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So George Clooney is single again.

I don't think anyone is particularly surprised by this news, except perhaps Elisabetta Canalis, his girlfriend of two years.

The couple called it quits just a couple of weeks after Elisabetta, 32, talked to Italian magazine Chi about her plans for marriage and babies.

"I am a firm believer in marriage, in the future I will be married," said the 32-year-old Italian lingerie model and personality.

"My maternal instinct has not kicked in yet but when it does my mother says it will be like a lightning bolt."

And in the strongest indication that she saw George, a huge rock and a white dress in her future she said:

"Whenever I see my picture in a magazine I know what is being written. They all say that I spend my time organising parties and that my boyfriend does not want to marry me and be with me any more... I could never be with someone who every time he opens his mouth says he doesn't want a child with me or marry me."

Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting any of these things - most women do.

But you've got to question the wisdom of spending two years of your life with a man who has never made any secret of the fact that he can't, or won't, commit.

Let's look at the facts: George has been single since he divorced his first - and only - wife, Talia Balsam, in 1993 after four years of marriage.

He's sworn that he will never get married again - and has bet actress Michelle Pfeiffer £50,000 that he'll never tie the knot.

Both she and Nicole Kidman previously bet George £10,000 that he would become a father before he turned 40 - and when Nicole duly sent him a cheque on his birthday, he returned it with a note that said, "Double or nothing for another ten years." He turned 50 in May, she we can only assume that Nicole has paid up.

If he was remotely tempted to settle down, George has had plenty of opportunities. In the last few years he's had longterm relationships with American waitress Sarah Lawson, French nursery teacher Celine Balitran and British model and broadcaster Lisa Snowdon.

But after his first marriage failed, George came to the conclusion that he's not cut out for married life.

"I wish I had known then that I was not the marrying kind. Some people aren't. I am one of them," he told The Sun.

"I love working. I love being on a film set, trying to make something special. It is a very selfish life.

"It means my relationships seem to last between two and three years. At that point, these independent women think it's time time call it a day. They see me travelling around, putting work first, writing, directing, acting. It seems I never stop. I don't blame them for wanting more from a relationship."

Now you can't really say that George is doing anything wrong; he's not a bad boy, he's not making promises he can't keep and, we're led to believe, he's monogamous.

But even though he's laid his cards on the table, he's still like catnip to women who dream about becoming Mrs Clooney.

That's because, celebrity or not, the more noise a man makes about not wanting to be tied down, the more he attracts women who hope that they will be the one to change his mind.

Women do love a project - whether it's renovating a house or remodeling a man. And by the time you've invested weeks/months/years in a relationship, it's only natural to hope that all that devotion will eventually pay off and he'll decide he can't live without you.

Yes, some women are more than happy with a relationship that's going nowhere other than the bedroom. But when it comes to love, it's a rare woman who can enjoy a relationship with no future. Even if you're able to play it cool to his face, you're only kidding yourself if you spend your private moments dreaming about wedding dresses and thinking up names for your future children.

So I think it's about time us women gave ourselves a good talking to.

Next time you find yourself flirting with a charming George-alike who could have his pick of women but seems to have chosen you, don't kid yourself that this means you'll be the one to change him.

Do yourself a favour and keep it light, then cut your losses - and save your bridal fantasies for a man who's happy to commit. For the other kind of fantasies, well, we'll always have George...