Men can’t get swept off their feet because they’re too busy rubbing yours
Happy wife, happy life, right?

Men are emotional creatures. They mourn when relationships end, overanalyze situations to the point of incomprehension, and feel all the same gushy feelings women do when something amazing happens.
But they’re trained to never show it.
We already see the damage this has caused in the relationship realm. Not only does it foster dishonesty and cheating, it also informs us women that if we’re catered to and kept satisfied, our men are perfectly fine too. It’s not true. And unfortunately, so many of us are falling for this facade.
Getting close to any man (or anyone) is difficult. Trying on the soul. We get close — or as close as they'll let us — but never enough to know who they really are. We’re also left in the dark when trying to understand what they want. Censure has been engrained in a man’s upbringing, instilling fear even when they reveal themselves to someone they claim to trust.
Men also have been shaped to neglect their internal workings for the greater good of the female. Books, movies and other forms of media have spent centuries driving the agenda of ‘treating females the right way/enough way to get them in bed with you’, creating sure-fire tips to snag even the hardest catch. Sidenote: it’s almost astonishing that even with all of the advice out there, men are still failing. But that’s an opinion for another day.
Aside from the media’s clues, women have been trained to openly express their wants, creating unique mental barometers of what constitutes feeling special. We express our need to feel safe and catered to, loved and thought about constantly. All of this is transmitted verbally and backed by sentimentality. These cues and the emotions that arise from them are clear indicators of how to satisfy us.
We give men instruction jam-packed with desires, expectations, tumultuous moods and unconditional love (the reward at the end of the obstacle course). On the other hand, we’re presented half-finished blueprints drawn in pencil and told to run with that until our patience runs out. This drastic difference causes us to ignore the layout given and instead focus on what makes us feel good. The rationality behind it: We’ve told you what we want, now do it.
Most of a man’s time is spent ensuring that they followed all of the rules, avoided any glaring pitfalls, and made it far enough into our hearts that they could be excused for a mistake here and there. In turn, they disregard their needs, and because we women feel good, we naturally assume our partners are gucci too.
Wrong.
Not only does society tell men that they must abandon one of their most human aspects, they’re also shunned by their partners when sharing intimacies. These factors lower their chances of feeling special too. Men are then crafted into brick walls that require more than one swing of a wrecking ball to crumble the layers. If you really want to build a solid foundation with someone who grew up on the principles of ‘never show weakness aka emotion’, you’ll need to start with patience.
Just because gender norms never gave men a chance to express their feelings, doesn’t mean women have to follow suit. Pay more attention, see what makes him light up, surprise him. Make him feel wanted, in the same way he does for you. Check in with your man periodically. A simple ‘how are you feeling about xyz’ not only shows that you care, but gives him the okay he probably needed to get a few things off of his chest. Lead by example and teach him that between you and him, this is a safe non-judgemental place where emotions are not only appreciated, but welcomed.
And men, recognize these efforts. Look at your girl not as a nag who is trying to get inside your head. Rather, view it as an opportunity to build with her, and connect deeper with yourself. Know that until you can align your manhood with the human need to express your emotions, women will continue to be in the dark on how to please you, leaving you forever in their debt.

