Here at the Marvelous Minutia blog I like to celebrate the little things in life that often go unnoticed. Little things that, if we take the time to look for them, can have a profound effect upon our day. These little things are often simple in nature and because of their simplicity they often go unnoticed.
Today I would like to talk about something that, because of their simplicity, is often misunderstood… men. By nature, men, unlike their counterparts, are extremely simple creatures. Men say what they mean, are generally direct, forward to a fault, and do not hold grudges. Women on the other hand are complex, often say what they do not mean, conceal their feelings, and have a better memory than an elephant. Recently I read an interesting article on Yahoo by Amy Spencer. It is titled “For Guys: A Guide to Girl Talk.” Amy writes, “If you’ve ever spoken to a woman, it’s fair to say you’ve been confused by one. Yes doesn’t always mean yes, no doesn’t always mean no, and most of us have once in our lives even admitted, ‘Well, I may have said that, but I didn’t mean it.’” Later in the article Amy cites an example of what a woman says versus what she really means:
What she says: “If you want to have a guy’s night, go ahead, fine.”
What she means: “I really, really don’t want you to go. And if you do, I’m going to be upset.”
Geesch! In camparison men are simpletons! With men and women having completely opposite communication styles it is no wonder John Gray sold millions of copies of his book "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus!" I think the following, which I received via e-mail, about a husband and wife writing in their respective diaries at the end of the day, sums up the nature of men and women nicely while poking fun at the communication disconnect:
Her Diary: Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it. Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong; He said, 'Nothing.' I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it. On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly, and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior I don't know why he didn't say, 'I love you, too.' When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly, and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. To my surprise, he responded to my caress, and we made love. But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep - I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.
His Diary: Boat wouldn't start, can't figure it out, at least I got laid.
The point of this post, while hopefully being humorous, is that it is important for both men and women to recognize each other’s differences in order to communicate better, because it is only then that we can happily focus on the things that are of real importance in this life, together.
