Hey. I am 20M. I have never dated. Obviously, I am a virgin.

I've begun slowly, yet steadily improving myself over the course of the past couple of months. Most importantly, I have begun going to the gym, although it's going to take me quite a while until I have made any visible improvements to my strength.

Now, I would say, and I could well be overrating myself, that I am quite smart. I have some hobbies I am passionate about, I enjoy learning new things, I want to improve my intellect. I am not some dumb brute, at least I don't think I am.

As for the looks, I think that when dressed properly and with a proper haircut, I am about average.

But here's what I am getting at, sorry for the long foreword. I want to be with a woman I am attracted to. Now, as I said , I am not perfect, but I am trying to improve. I would like to find myself a solid 8/9/10, maybe a strong 7. I am not a "choosing beggar"; just because I myself am not handsome does not mean I should settle for a woman I am not attracted towards. I hope this is not an outrageous statement.

But at my age, that being 20, this sounds like a fever dream. Of I was half a decade younger that's different game altogether. But at fucking 20, literally every attractive woman I am going to encounter is going to already have a boyfriend, and to have had multiple more in the past. And this boyfriend is likely to be so ripped I won't able to match him for a long time, while also being more handsome and charismatic.

It's just, I would like to have an attractive girlfriend, and not settle for one I am not attracted to. But at this point, when I am 20, isn't every attractive woman already going to have a boyfriend? I mean, there's high demand for them, so it's not like they have to actively try to get male attention. It just comes to them, no effort required.

Is that an unsolveable paradox? Do I need to lower my standards?

I would like to hear your thoughts.