Men always complain about women to their friends. “Dude, she takes hours to text back,” or “I just don’t understand why she wouldn’t talk to me about something like that.” And I’m sure I could think of a quarter billion other phrases that should sound all too familiar to women complaining about men too. Relationships and love, they’re both a constant ebb of give and take or wrong and right; nobody is perfect and we’re supposed to love people for their differences. But sometimes people cross the line. If you’re wondering why he’s not talking to you or is scowling at everything, maybe you did one of these things.
1. Hitting
Not the play kind. This is easily the biggest mistake some women make today. Double standards are real and your rings hurt more than you think they do.
2. Not Listening
We enjoy beer and sports and will occasionally tune you out if something exciting is happening or the boys are over. We do not appreciate how you can go through an entire dinner date on your phone texting Miranda. If you think it’s different, let me hold the phone over my head after yelling an angrier form of the conversation I’m trying to have with you.
3. Doing the Opposite Thing
We do not want you talking to so-and-so for a reason. Texting us non-stop when you “can’t talk” and we want to have a discussion with you is unnaturally aggravating. Why did you even ask if I liked that outfit one-hundred and fifty times if you’re just going to storm off angrily to put on that other top with the flats? The little things we do to show we care transform into aggravating things you’ve ignored to show you don’t care.
4. Saying, “Five minutes…”
You’re not that bad with time. My sister (on a pretty consistent average) takes two hours to get ready. If you tell me to come over now and you’re just getting into the shower, chances are I’ll be pretty peeved that I’m not still at home in my underwear.
Plus, how is it possible we are now late for our dinner reservations?
5. Insulting our Manhood
You might like seeing that little guy once in awhile, but he’s one of our longest friends. He does not need, want, or appreciate any scrutiny from you. Also, if you call me a “pussy” or a “bitch” while we’re out and about, I’m going to sit quietly thinking about the possibility of you walking home.
6. Miscommunication
We probably screwed up and you have every right to be angry. Hell, we’ll even respect the fact that you “can’t even talk to us right now”. What will upset us more and exasperate everything is if you do not tell us what it is that’s bothering you when “you’re ready to talk” or talking around the topic.
7. “Forgiving and Forgetting”
Quotes being the main point of this topic, do not say everything is fine if you’re going to bring up that stupid thing we did a week/month/year later. Forgive us and get over it or don’t and break up with us.
8. Leading Us On, Lying, or Cheating
It’s all about respect.
9. Hooking Up With Our Friends
If you know we like you, but you keep hooking up with my roommate, we’ll be upset. If we dated and broke up and you keep hooking up with my roommate, he’s going to wake up to the unpleasant sound of pornography at full blast and be missing every left sock. If you cheat on us with our roommate, don’t ever walk back into the room again.
10. Not Giving Us Space
I cannot read if there is any noise in the background at all. Sometimes, our best friend from home wants to have a boys’ weekend camping in a field shooting guns and chewing tobacco. I love that you work out, but could you not walk into the gym every time I’m in the gym? Every second I spend away from you is not another second I’m inside another woman.
Some guys are more temperamental then others. Some will use mock anger as manipulation. Sometimes, we want to be shown more respect. In any case, if you’re treading into the dangerous territory of these categories, remember you’ve been warned.
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