By Alicia • 12 Comments
Miscommunication isn’t an uncommon event between men and women in a relationship. Generally the intentions of both are good but there’re so many differences in how men and women think that it isn’t unusual for one to misunderstand the other. There’re some things that’re more commonly miscommunicated over than others. Let’s talk about them.
Miscommunication can happen frequently in this area. You want to talk to him about some problems you’re having. It could be problems at school, work or with a friend or family member. What you really want is for him to listen and be supportive. What’s likely to happen is that he’ll go into problem solving mode and you’ll become frustrated. Discussing your problems will go much easier if you explain you just want him to listen instead of offering suggestions on how to fix the situation.
If you’ve lived together as a couple anytime at all then you’ve probably discovered this area of miscommunication. It happens when you ask him to do something for you. It may be something simple such as getting a crock-pot down from a high shelf or something a bit more involved like painting the bedroom. Whatever it is, he probably doesn’t get it done as quickly as you were hoping. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to give him a timeline of when you’d like things done.
This’s another big area of miscommunication. It’s likely that you have different definitions of spending time together. You probably want to go on dates and do activities. He may feel as long as you’re in the same place that you’re spending time together. You can resolve this miscommunication by agreeing to do a little of both.
You may not communicate well on how long certain things take. Men are likely to underestimate how long something will take them such as a vehicle repair. They also tend to underestimate how long they’ll be out with friends. But on the flip side, we girls can have a bit of an issue with underestimating time, too. We generally get tripped up by underestimating how long it may take us to get ready.
When having a conversation, men and women approach it differently. Men tend to only want the bare minimum of information whereas women want every single detail. This explains why a conversation between a man and woman could have it’s difficulties. He may tend to get lost as you go on about all the details of a subject. You could easily become frustrated when he doesn’t have more information on something you’re interested in knowing about.
Not all guys are good at taking hints. You could probably hint at something toward your mom, sister or best friend and she’d get it. Not always so with a guy. It’s very likely to go over his head. You’re better off to come right out and tell him whatever you’re trying to say in a more direct manner.
Affection is something that both men and women enjoy. But the desire behind that affection could be a source of miscommunication. A man may think that you’re being affectionate because you want to be sexual while that isn’t why at all. This’s something that you can clear up by talking about it. This’s another area it’s best to be direct and let your guy know how you’re feeling.
These’re 7 very common areas of miscommunication between men and women. Which ones have you and your guy misunderstood each other about? Share your stories here.