How Men Express Love... (Men & Love 1)

It's no secret that men and women express love differently. But, the way that men express love can be confusing to a woman. Women are more outgoing in the expression of affection, while men tend to hold their feelings inside. Women confirm their love through words and gestures, men suppress confirmation until the issue is pressed.

Women like to know exactly where they are in a relationship. They like to be held, and cuddled, and kissed, and romanced. Women enjoy social acknowledgement of their relationships. The outward display of affection can be reassuring for them. But, many men fall short in this area, unless they expect something in return.

This is not to say that men are incapable of loving women the way they want to be loved. The proof of which is evident during the initial stages of dating. Guys can be charming when they want to be, and affectionate when they choose to be, but the consistent display of charm and affection seems unachievable.

What happens to the guy who turns it on so smooth and effortlessly in the beginning? That person often disappears once the novelty of a new relationship wears off. It isn't that he has lost interest or no longer cares, as it is so often believed. It's just that he has been educated through social and environmental influences just how to conduct himself on a date, though depending on the environment, he's had little education on sustaining a relationship.

How a man expresses love is a direct reflection on how love has been expressed throughout his upbringing. People carry through life, that which is most familiar. However, that isn't to say that a man can't change. And the most effective way to encourage such change is by doing those things that he would least expect.

Men enjoy surprises almost as much as women. A bouquet of flowers, sharing a bottle of wine at the end of a long day, romantic evenings, and even saying "I love you" can all be initiated by women just as easily as they can by men. But cultural norms have dictated that men, for the most part, must initiate such acts. It's no excuse, but men can sometimes become burdened under the pressures of having the sole responsibility of constantly reinforcing the relationship.

The bottom line is that in order to receive a greater expression of love from a man, then sometimes it must also be given. Society has long determined the etiquette of dating and marriage based on gender. But those rules are not written in stone. The way that a man expresses love can be reshaped and remodeled to how a woman desires love. Like woman, men should sometimes be held, cuddled, kissed, and romanced.