Maintaining a good relationship that continues to flourish is not an easy task. Men and women frequently clash because of misunderstandings, and recent studies have found that conflict is often due to information processing differences. A little insight into male psychology can help women understand what men need from them.
• Men Want Women to Let Them be Sad
Unfortunately, society has been raising men to hide their emotions, especially sadness, for centuries. Crying has been denounced as a sign of weakness and decreased masculinity, but men need to be able to cry to properly work through their emotions. Men may improperly display sadness by:
Showing anger
Becoming silent
Withdrawing
• He Needs His Mate to be a Friend
Many times when a relationship is forming, the woman assumes the role as the agenda keeper or task master. Adult men do not need their mate to replace their mother and tell them what to do. Partners should work by:
Equally sharing tasks
Planning activities together
• Men Need to be Able to Trust Women
Just like women, men have moments of vulnerability and need to be able to share their deepest concerns and feelings with their mates. Securing each other as confidants is a significant milestone that brings couples closer and solidifies the relationship. Men need to feel free to openly display their most intimate concerns without the fear of scorn, or worry that their secrets will be shared at the next girls’ lunch out.
• He Needs his Mate to be Emotionally Secure
Men don’t want to be the sole emotional support of their partner. Women who are too needy and depend on the man to continually validate their position often cause their partner to develop resentment that stems from the unequal burden.
• Men Want Women to Understand How They Communicate
It is no secret that the sexes express themselves in very different ways. One way of communicating is not necessarily better than another, though, and instead of judging men as poor communicators, women need to consider listening with an approach that may be different than their own.