There are many differences between men and women, both in the way we’re designed physically and the way we process things emotionally. And I’m sure you’ve noticed that the way we view relationships is also very different. The main problem in a lot of relationships is women don’t know what men want.
While the differences may seem vast, they’re pretty simple when you break it down. Once you can understand them, you’ll have a much easier time understanding your guy and making your relationship even more amazing.
I want to preface this by saying that I know there are exceptions but for the sake of clarification, I’m going to be speaking about the way men and women are in general.
Take The Quiz: Does He Like You?
In general, the appeal of a relationship for a women is the relationship. Women naturally gravitate towards the idea of marriage and see it as highly appealing. An ideal relationship for a woman is one where she feels understood and connected to her significant other. An ideal man is one who truly understands her.
The ideal relationship for a man is one where he gets to feel like the man. Men don’t have the same need for understanding as women do. Rather, men like to feel acknowledged, respected, and appreciated. Men typically enjoy the role of being givers, so for a man, the ideal woman is one who can happily receive. There is nothing sexier or more appealing to him than a happy woman who appreciates everything he has to offer.
MORE: 5 Things Every Woman Needs to Know About Men
While men love to give, they don’t always know what is you need and most relationship problems arise from basic communication malfunctions where a woman goes about trying to tell a man what she needs in the wrong way.
For instance, if your boyfriend or husband is hardly ever home, rather than saying: “Why aren’t you ever home?” say “I really love it when you’re here.” If your partner isn’t meeting your needs, it is always a much better strategy to tell him what you want rather than constantly hammering in what it is you don’t want and pointing out the ways in which he’s failing to meet your needs.
Remember, he wants to make you happy and the more appreciated he feels, the more he will go out of his way to give you what you want.
It is also worth noting that men respond to specific compliments much more than abstract ones. For instance, saying something like: “Thank you for doing the dishes, that was so thoughtful of you” packs more punch than something general like “You’re so thoughtful.” This can be an area of confusion since women are thrilled with general compliments (you’re so smart/pretty/nice/funny/etc.)
While the principles I’ve outlined may seem fairly straightforward and universally understood, they often get completely ignored. The biggest mistake most women make in relationships is assuming men think just like they do.
And the key to a successful relationship is communicating your needs in a way that the other person can hear it. If you attack or blame, your guy will completely shut down and tune you out. If you come from a place of compassion and appreciation, he will tune in to exactly what you’re saying and will try to do whatever he can to make you happy.
MORE: Bite Sized Solutions to the Most Common Relationship Problems
It is only when we embrace our differences and see the other side more clearly that healthy communication can flourish. Try it out for yourselves and you’ll see what I mean!
I hope this article showed you some of the differences between men and women in relationships. But there’s more you need to know. At some point, a man is going to ask himself: is this the woman I want to commit myself to? The answer will determine everything. Do you know how a man decides a woman is “girlfriend material” as opposed to “fling material”? Do you know what inspires a man to want to commit? If not, you need to read this article next: The #1 Things Men Desire in a Woman
Here is another issue almost every woman will face: He starts to withdraw and seems to be losing interest. He doesn’t text back, he is less attentive, and something is just off. He seems like he’s pulling away and you might lose him completely— do you know what to do about it? If not, read this right now If He’s Pulling Away, Do This...
Please tell us your thoughts in comments!
Written by Sabrina Alexis
