HIMYM: The Only Woman Barney Truly Needed But Didn't Deserve

Summary:

• HIMYM’s Barney Stinson was a womanizer who lied and manipulated women to sleep with him for many years.
• Nora was Barney’s only girlfriend who held him accountable for his mistakes and made him want to change.
• Despite trying his best, Barney still slipped and cheated on Nora, losing in her his only chance of becoming a better man.

As much as we all love Barney, we must address the obnoxiously enormous elephant parade in the room: he was a terribly troubled human being, especially when it came to women. Barney found his way into their embrace by lying and manipulating, and after years of doing so, there was no chance of him healing.

Except, there was — but he messed it up royally.

Nora Was The Best Girlfriend Barney’s Ever Had

Throughout the years, Barney Stinson’s been with many women, and he didn’t value a single one of them, using and dumping them the next morning. Only one ex of Barney’s didn’t fall for his tricks and made him regret his awful attitude: Nora.

Nora was a strong and independent woman, but also a caring and tender person. She never took Barney’s shenanigans at face value, could easily reject him when she wanted, and held him accountable for all his sins, past and present alike. She was the first woman Barney genuinely decided to change for, and that means a lot!

Thanks to Nora’s self-confidence, she consciously decided to give Barney, who she knew as a pathological liar and manipulator, a chance. Of all the people, Nora could afford it: she liked Barney but also knew she could dump him in no time if needed.

Barney Missed His Best Chance To Change With Nora

To give credit where it’s due, Barney did try to change and become a better man just to be the one for Nora. But clearly, he didn’t try hard enough. All his grand gestures and promises shatter in vain after he cheats on Nora with Robin.

Still, the womanizer respects his girlfriend to the point where, instead of his habitual lying, he comes clean to her and admits that he slept with Robin.

Nora encourages his honesty and understands that men like Barney can’t change in an instant. She asks him if the night with Robin meant anything more to him, and after Barney admits that it did, they break up for the second and last time.

And so, Barney misses his one and only chance to become a better man and person in the entire show by doing what he does best: not controlling his sudden urges.