While I mostly dislike gender stereotypes, there is some kind of truth in the fact that women are more open when it comes to expressing their feelings. Men are taught to keep it all bottled inside, not to cry, and to be a "manly man". That involves playing it cool and acting aloof. Whether they've perfected the art so fantastically that they don't feel the need to say a peep, or if they're just really good actors - is beyond me.
For that reason, I've done some research on this annoying occurrence in hope to give valuable insight and reasoning behind why men don't verbalise their feelings. Are you ready to hear the truth?
1 They Use Actions, Not Words
If you ask a guy how he feels and he answers, "I don't know" - it generally means that he really doesn't know. As women, we tend to assume the worst -that he's not interested in us, he's seeing some one else, or he's just not interested in what you have to say. But the answer lies in his actions. You know your favourite flowers he bought you last week? Or a picture of a beautiful sunrise that he says reminds him of you? That's his way of communicating.
Frequently asked questions
2 Blink, and It's over
If you've ever seen two guys talk about their feelings, you'll notice that it includes a whopping sentence or two. The conversation is then over and they're onto the next topic. The truth is, men want a safe and trusting space in which to talk about how they feel. To them, it's all about saving face and looking tough.
3 They Really Don't Get It
If you hadn't noticed, guys aren't very good at reading between the lines so they don't even bother. Women, on the other hand, love to throw in everything except the kitchen sink. Men, simply put, shut it out and continue playing Playstation.
4 It's a Waste of Time
A recent study in Missouri revealed that, while women love nothing more than to talk about what's on their mind, men tend to be more quiet. This is not because they're unsure of how they feel but because they're bored and see it as a waste of time. Truthfully, they find it to be a useless activity.
5 It Amplifies the Problem
Not only do men feel bored during an intimate moment of sharing but, they're more likely to think that talking about a problem will make it bigger than it needs to be.
6 Perhaps It's Us?
In a strange turn of events, perhaps the problem doesn't really lie with men being stingy with their use of feeling words, but the fact that women over-share their feelings. Women have the tendency to over-talk which, in turn, makes them kind of crazy in the process.
7 The Male Survival Mechanism
For men, their first instinct is to bail when times get tough. This is because when a man is feeling over emotional, his blood pressure skyrockets and it takes a considerable amount of time to return to normal (more so than for women). Without knowing it, men actually instinctively leave a problem to calm down in order to save their health.
Will men and women ever meet some kind of common ground when it comes to sharing emotions? Should we, as women, share less in hope to meet him in the middle? Grr, relationships are way too difficult! Where is my Prince Charming?!
