You intimidate me

As we stood against the gymnasium wall during slow dances, my high school friends and I shrugged our shoulders and uttered the line that kept us out of the "dateless and desperate" realm:

"Oh well. They're just intimidated by our sexiness."

We said it half in jest, but half in a belief it was true.

It was comforting to believe that in romance, the problem wasn't us. It was them.

We reasoned our greatest problem was being too poised, too confident, too good looking.

A decade has passed since I endured the torture of high school dances. But the "he's intimidated by me" line still thrives in the dating world.

This video asks if men are intimidated by strong, independent women. (YourTango via The Frisky)

Intimidation might be a factor in the initial asking-out process, but I can't accept it as the sole justification for a breakup.

More than anything, I think the line is a way for the dumpee to make himself/herself feel better about a breakup.

Tell me: Have you ever ended a relationship because you were intimidated by a partner's success?