Dating taller girls always seems a bit intimidating for guys. We don’t really know why that is —whether it’s public perception or something else — but, unfortunately, that can be the sense when asking guys if they’d ever be into a girl taller than him.

The thing is, it doesn’t have to be intimidating, nor weird. In fact, dating taller girls can be just as great, if not better, than dating a shorter girl who looks to be more fun because you, as the guy, tower over her. You know the saying “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it”? Well, when it comes to dating taller girls, that’s exactly the mentality more dudes should have.

Of course, there are rules to all of this — when isn’t there? The most obvious one is that it takes a secure guy to date a girl who’s taller, unfazed by the fact that some people may look at the couple strange because it’s uncommon to see. That’s not the only rule, though, so keep on reading to see what can be the difference between a good and bad relationship when dating taller girls.

Know that the girl doesn’t care

Like any physical trait, girls know exactly what they’re getting themselves into when it comes to dating a guy shorter than she is. So, yeah, much like the guy who’s afraid his thinning hair isn’t attractive enough for a drop dead bombshell, know that she’s not going to waste her time with you if she’s uninterested. If it doesn’t bother her, then why in the hell should it bother you or make you uncomfortable?

Don’t remind her how tall she is

For instance, if a girl’s about two inches taller than you — say she’s 5’10” and you’re 5’8″ — don’t continuously point out that she looks so much taller than you, or question that she might be even taller than she claims. It’s clear that her head is higher than yours, so no need to point it out over and over. That’s like telling someone that the zit on their face keeps getting redder and redder, and can be an instant turn-off.

Don’t try to compete

The last thing you want to do is try to add boosters in your shoes or only wear things that will appear to make you look taller and her look shorter. For example, just because your Timberland boots give you an extra two inches and her flats make your heights more equal when she’s in them, doesn’t mean you need to only wear those boots. Rumor has it Tom Cruise used to put lifts in his shoes while married to Katie Holmes, don’t be that guy.

Joke about it

While tom Cruise may not have dated taller girls right, one guy who does is comedian Kevin Hart, who occasionally makes jokes about how his wife, Eniko Parrish, is obviously taller than him. When you stop worrying and start being real about the obvious, it’ll be much easier for you, your girl and everyone else to accept. It is what it is, just go with it.

Completely own it

Yeah, the girl with the long legs that every single guy is staring at is yours. Now’s not the time to feel inferior because she happens to be taller than you. As we mentioned above, she knows what she’s getting herself into and doesn’t care that she’s taller than you. That means you shouldn’t either — nor should you care what other people think. Once you open up, block out the haters and own the fact that you’re dating taller girls, the more successful you’ll be.