The term is tossed around a lot, but what does it entail exactly? What are some criteria for determining if a woman is “high maintenance”?
This question assumes that some women are “low maintenance.” When you find one, let me know.
Very funny. Now take me out to dinner.
Unified Theory of Maintenance: The higher the ratio of time spent on her to time spent on you, the higher maintenance she is. (Also works in reverse.)
For me it’s their level of clingy-ness and how dependent they are on their partner. There are some guys who actually like helping their significant other, who suddenly seems unable to deal with any problem once they are in a relationship and who is unable to entertain themselves when the other person isn’t around, but most people would describe that behavior as high maintenance.
My other definition would be as a synonym for a snob or being very picky. They have to have this special food, this kind of clothing, and go on this kind of vacation where they stay at this kind of hotel. In that sense, every Orthodox Jew and vegetarian is by definition high maintenance 
In my opinion: a high maintenance woman is one who expects to get her way, expects other people to do things for her, expects things to be done to her satisfaction, and doesn’t give back in proportion to how much she takes.
The more cosmetics, the higher the maintenance. If she spends a lot of time on herself (i.e., getting ready to go somewhere) or spends a lot of money on herself (for example, on said cosmetics), she probably has a really high opinion of herself. How she handles money generally is always a good indicator, because when she’s done spending hers (especially if she has little to really show for it), she going to be all for spending yours.
I think of high maintenance people as not being self-entertaining. They must have the constant validation of others. They require the actions of others to make them happy.
It’s really not only about money.
I think of “high maintenance” as being in the eye of the beholder. Any person who wants more from you than you’re willing to give them is high maintenance.
I recently met a girl that struck me as the definition of high-maintenance - she was the girlfriend of the bride’s brother at a wedding I attended. The day of the wedding, we were all going out to get some lunch before the ceremony - just somewhere casual - and she made us all wait while she got changed and put on make-up. :rolleyes: Woman, we’re going out to have burgers. They don’t care about your mascara.
Yeah, that’s my definition too: someone who can’t leave the house without make-up. It;s just a aymptom of course, but one which can generally predict a vast swath of little inconveniences which in aggregate will take over the lives of everyone around her.
High maintenance is when you expect others to rearrange their lives around your preferences. Around your *needs, *well that’s OK if they are close family or spouse, but around your preferences, that’s high maintenance.
This obviously does not apply to burn victims who prefer to cover their scars, and such.
See what I mean? “Anyone who finds something important that I don’t, and would like me to accommodate them, is high maintenance.”
After all, most people can only ever *be *inconvenienced, not cause any.
Personally I’m wondering where TruCelt draws the line. It’s OK for a burn victim to use makeup before going out, apparently.
What about someone with rosacea? Vitiligo? A massive port wine stain on their face? What if they have body-dismorphic disorder? Do those folks get a pass or are they 'high maintenance?
Given how much emphasis is put on women’s looks, I find it quite laughable that a woman is being given a hard time about wanting to put on some mascara and lip gloss to go out for her burger.
Frankly, the whole ‘what makes WOMEN high maintenance’ thing pisses me off. How about what makes a PERSON high maintenance? If your boyfriend calls you in the middle of the night, drunk, insisting that you don’t love him is that high maintenance? I think so, even though buddy probably doesn’t wear any make up. How about the douchy guy that keeps punching holes in the walls when he’s having a snit? Is he high maintenance? Does the fact that he only owns 5 pairs of shoes somehow diminish the maintenance he requires?
Yah, I don’t think so.
When you never know what mood someone is going to be in, that’s pretty high maintainence. Do you have to constantly “handle” them? Have you had more than one date ruined because they got into a snit about something you never saw coming?
There’s definitely an inverse ratio between my age and my need for drama.
One aspect is a woman who expects you to do all sorts of little shit for her that SHE is perfectly capable of doing herself and has just as much time to do it as you do. And she will usually add a layer of guilt on about how important and/or time critical it is when in reality it either probably doesnt even need to be done or could be done between now and christmas. The worst ones even expect you to do something for them when it would be WAY easier for them to do it.
Its death by a million “favors”. And there is never any shortage of em, ever.
It can mean different things, depending on the kind of “maintenance” you’re talking about.
One thing it can mean is that a woman spends a lot of time, effort, and/or money “putting herself together”: her makeup, her hair, her clothes, etc. For a woman that you are involved with to be high-maintenance in this sense could be a good, bad, or indifferent thing, depending on your own preferences and on how much of your own time, effort, or money her high-maintenance-ness costs you.
Another, different thing it could mean is that a woman is emotionally needy. If you’re involved with her, you have to invest a way-above-average amount of time, effort, money, and/or attention in her, or she will react badly.
I suppose it could also mean that she has a health issue (physical or mental) that makes her require more than usual support and assistance from the people in her life; but I’m not used to hearing the term used this way.
High maintenance gals are easy to spot. I’m a woman and I can spot them a mile away. They must be perfectly coiffured at all times. Hair and nails always done. Clothes must be top of the line and stylish. As image is important to them they must own a new car and live in a posh home or apartment that reflects the high standards they set for themselves.
All these things cost money and I can mentally compute how much a woman costs just by looking at her.
Hair appointments- 100 a month
Nails -50 a month
Clothes- 300 a month
Shoes makeup and accessories- 200 a month
New car- 500 a month
Nice home- 1500 a month
This is my idea of a high maintenance gal. Either she has a rich daddy, a good job or a weathly husband but ultimately someone has to pay for it.
A woman who pays for her own stuff is not high maintenance to anyone else.
The original question wasn’t meant to suggest that guys can’t be high maintenance as well. But for now I am just looking for people’s ideas of high maintenance criteria as they apply to women.
Boy, that is about as accurately and succinctly said as I could have imagined possible!