The key to a healthy relationship is communication, but that isn’t exactly easy when it feels like you need to speak in a foreign language. Just like women, men are a different kind of creature with their own unique method of communicating with one another, and what men view as normal, women find confusing, and vice versa.
It’s because of this barrier that a lot of people find communicating with the opposite sex tedious and not worth it most of the time. If you find yourself in this camp and want to learn the quirks found in men, or are simply curious to know, then here’s a quick guide to understanding why men do the things they do.
The Nod
Men actually have their own means of communication that is as universal as it is weird. Collectively, nodding simply means yes as a means of communication, but for men, depending on the direction in which their head is moving, it can mean different things. With a nod, men can actually greet other people or ask for a moment of their time. Though they often do this in the event someone is busy with another conversation or isn’t in the mood for a verbal hello, variations of the nod exist but are often rare, as it depends on people and their group or culture.
The Step
On a hot summer day, have you ever seen a man just take a very awkward and very large stride before resuming a normal walk? Congratulations! You’ve just witnessed the step. Oftentimes, the male genitals would stick to a guy’s thigh and just wouldn’t come off, so to separate them, men take these large strides so that their junk could be free again. If that doesn’t work, they have to adjust it manually – but changing the gear of a guy’s stick shift is often seen as something very unpleasant, and when they can’t do the step, they often reach in their wide pockets and adjust it from there. So if you see a man who you think is having constipation while his hands are in his pockets, it’s best to walk away.
Urinal Etiquette
This isn’t typically seen by women, but it’s nice to point it out as well, because of how many men subconsciously follow this rule (most of the time). Similar to the nod, men also have some unwritten rules when it comes to using the urinals in a restroom. Using a urinal in a crowded restroom is perhaps one of the most awkward experiences a man can undergo, as they are in close proximity to someone who has their wang out. This results in them leaving a stall vacant to avoid those uncomfortable small talk attempts and stares – and there was hardly any difference when public restrooms were closing every other urinal during the height of the pandemic.
Looking For Solutions
Men have always been called out as being unfeeling or lacking emotional empathy, to simply being a shoulder to cry on. The thing is that men aren’t exactly trained to express their feelings – in fact, they are trained to repress them. The phrase “men don’t cry” is actually pretty damaging to a boy’s emotional growth, limiting, if not outright preventing, emotional connection out of fear of being labelled as weak.
As a means of coping, men are instead trained to work towards a solution to a problem instead of crying about it. This applies to relationships, and perhaps this is why some women don’t like sharing problems with men. If you’re having this problem with your partner, it’s best to sit down and communicate. When entering this conversation, it’s best to leave the idea of undoing this mode of thinking behind, as undoing years of conditioning since childhood would be downright impossible. Instead, you can avoid 90% of arguments by asking, “Are you looking for comfort or solutions?” – and it’s also a step towards becoming emotionally available.
Gather For The Simplest (Or Stupidest) Things
There’s a reason why men’s life expectancy is much shorter compared to women’s; that’s because they are more likely to just gather and collectively let their intrusive thoughts win out more often than not. Guys can find entertainment in even the most ordinary tasks, which frequently draws other guys to join in and participate, fostering a momentary feeling of camaraderie. Sometimes, these activities range from digging a massive hole on a beach to creating a battle consisting only of people who are named Josh, and even Naruto running into Area 51. Men are simple creatures, and it doesn’t take much to entertain them.
Sources: Reddit, Pexels, Wallpaper Flare [1], [2], Twitter, BBC, Dazed Digital
