Sean Lowe, this season's coolly charismatic star of The Bachelor, knows what he wants when it comes to a future spouse. In a recent visit to Us Weekly's NYC offices, the Dallas native admitted that he wasn't necessarily able to deliver on what his mother wanted, however.

"For the most part, my family said, 'Just be yourself, you're going to be great,'" he told Us Weekly about his parents' words of wisdom. "But my mom did make it a point to say, 'Please limit your hot tub makeout scenes for my sake.' I don't know if I necessarily held up my end of that bargain, but hopefully mom's not too embarrassed by what she sees."

Lowe, 29, is already three weeks into his journey to find love on the hit ABC show, and the original pool of 26 women has been narrowed down to 12. But in a season already riddled with drama (Tierra's tumble down the steps) and in-fighting (Kacie B. was sent home early for tattling on Desiree and Amanda last week), Lowe says he's trying to be cautious about the women he falls for.

"I don't want a girl that's self-absorbed," he says of his ideal gal.

Still, Lowe says he recognizes that the process is a two-way street, and he'll have to make some tough decisions about women who might develop feelings for him as well.

"I knew going into it that I was going to have to break some hearts," he admits. "And I said to myself that if it leads to what hopefully will be a great ending, then I'm okay with it."

"I'm myself, and I'm genuine. and if that comes across as sensitive at times, then I'm okay with that," he grins.

The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Watch Us Weekly's exclusive interview with Sean now!

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Bachelor Sean Lowe: My Mom Told Me to "Limit My Hot Tub Makeout Scenes"