As fabulous as we women are, there are a few things we do on a semi-regular basis that drive men crazy (and NOT in a good way). Not all gals are guilty of the things we’ve put on our list, but many of us make at least a few of the following habits – much to the chagrin of our men. To get a better idea of what we mean, we’ve listed four habits that guys either hate or just don’t understand. Check them out and see where you stand.
Obsessing over weight
Ask any guy about what they just don’t understand about women, and invariably, a good percentage will tell you it’s talking about weight. Living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a weight that makes sense for our height and body type often isn’t enough for us. We feel the need to scrutinize every square inch of ourselves for lumps, bumps and other flaws that (trust us) your guy would never even notice. Most men just shake their heads as we stand disgruntled in front of the mirror, analyzing waist size, arm jiggle and whether or not our thighs look bigger or smaller after last night’s ice cream marathon. “I hate when my girlfriend complains about her body,” says one customer service representative in his mid-30s. “I just walk out of the room when she starts talking about her weight.” So the lesson here is twofold: Men don’t want to hear about our cellulite woes and we need to stop judging our bodies so harshly.
Gossiping
Dishing on the love lives of friends is something many women do with great abandon. Not everyone revels in dishing dirt on friends, family and co-workers but a lot of us just can’t help ourselves – something guys just don’t get. While a woman might be fascinated with the news that her boss is getting flirty with the new girl or that her co-worker just got dumped by the guy from two floors down, a guy doesn’t consider this information worthy of attention. “Why would I care who the guy down the hall is sleeping with?” asks a graphic designer in his late 20s. “Good for him if he’s getting some, but otherwise, who cares?” This sentiment sums up how guys feel about gossip. We’re not suggesting you quash the urge to discuss who’s sleeping with whom, but just know that your man will probably never understand why you do it.
Nagging
After obsessing over weight, this is probably the second most annoying thing women do that men can’t stand. It’s not that we want to annoy our men; it’s just that we don’t always trust their listening skills and assume they’ll forget to buy milk, take out the trash, pick up the kids from day camp or otherwise neglect to do what we’ve told them to do. But nagging is like torture to guys who cringe inwardly as soon as they realize it’s happening.
| What to do instead: Instead of making nagging a habit, give your guy the benefit of the doubt in hopes that he’ll do everything he needs to do without having to be reminded 16 times. If he does forget to do something important, don’t blow up at him. Explain why it was important and why it upset you that he forgot. Ideally, knowing why his actions upset you will be enough to ensure he doesn’t mess up again. |
Giving the silent treatment
Though some guys are masters at the art of saying nothing at all just to piss us off, women are more likely than men to keep mum when they’re upset, and men find it very frustrating. “Why can’t my girlfriend just tell me why she’s mad instead of avoiding my calls and texts?” asks a 31-year old photographer who can’t stand getting the silent treatment. As tempting as it is, it just causes conflict to drag on for longer than it needs to. If you’re not talking about the problem, it’s just going to get bigger and finding a solution is just going to get harder. So rather than trying to make him even angrier by staying silent, make an effort to talk about what’s on your mind so you can both move forward.
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