Reddit user u/direwolfey recently posed the question: "What, as a guy, do you wish girls knew?" The thread quickly filled with many men sharing their perspectives. Here are some of the most eye-opening responses:
1. "Just because I’m not talking doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying my time with you."
2. "We actually really want to be complimented too. A 60-year-old women complimented me five years ago and it still makes me feel good, which just shows how little we get compliments."
3. "It’s hard to get over you after a breakup. We don’t really have emotional support systems in place to rely on, and a lot of men have small social circles, so losing someone means a lot to us."
4. "We aren't great with hints. Communication is king."
6. "I really like to hang out with my friends because I love them, not because I don't want to spend time with you."
7. "Sometimes men just don’t get hard. It’s not you. It’s many things, from lifestyle and diet, to stress and anxiety. Please try not to take it as a sign of a lack of attraction or affection. Sometimes it just happens."
8. "Men have emotions and there are points where we need to cry. Tears happen not just from pain, but also from joy."
9. "It's okay to make the first move. Guys can be shy too. Come talk to me instead of staring at me."
10. "We don't know where we want to eat either."
11. "We like random gifts, random hugs, and random signs of affection and love. Sometimes just a cup of coffee in my favorite mug is enough to convince me it’s going to be a good day."
12. "A boner doesn't always mean I'm horny. Sometimes it just pops up out of nowhere."
13. "When we say we're thinking about nothing, the majority of the time we really are thinking of nothing. Or maybe we are thinking of ridiculous made-up scenarios that sound stupid when said out loud."
14. "Men love being the target of a romantic gesture. Many men never have been."
15. "Please ask us out. It makes us feel wanted and loved."
16. "Playing hard to get does not work at all."
17. "We get angry. We get depressed. We get sad. We want to cry and be held at times too. Being told by one of my exes that 'real men don't cry' when I was at a really low point only further pushed me down that dark hole. Please don't do that. That shit hurts and sticks with us."
18. "If you don’t want to hear the truth about something, don’t ask me to tell you the truth. Because I’m going to tell you the truth every time."
19. "Sometimes men just need some alone time."
20. "We can be uncomfortable with unwarranted physical contact as well."
21. "Tell us more about what you like in bed."
22. "We don’t really care about makeup and just want you to be healthy and happy. Any guy who wouldn’t be attracted to you without your makeup on is a shitty person!"
23. "Our feelings get hurt, but we were trained to suck it up and deal with it. Because of that, we have a tendency to be really bad at communicating our feelings."
24. "Just because I joke about my emotions doesn't mean I don't want them to be taken seriously."
25. Finally: "Sometimes we want to be the little spoon."
Guys, are there more things you wish women understood about you? Feel free to share in the comments!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.