These random articles pop up on my MSN homepage often enough. For some reason, I felt like journaling my thoughts on this one. It's "11 Things guys don't understand about women." (Source) It's a generally dreadful site with some articles that are better left unread, but I found this one pretty interesting. In any event, it's a break from all of the theology and personal stuff here!
So here are the "things guys don't understand" -- and my attempt to provide a concise explanation. But don't expect too much, because brevity never was my thing. lol. It does seem to be a hobby of mine to analyse things and give answers, though!
1. "Why, oh, why, can’t you create a single, central location for your hair ties and bobby pins?!? And why is there one on the handle of the microwave?"
:: Simple. If our hair is long enough to use hair ties, we almost always have one around our wrist. When we don't want it getting in the way, we tie it back. When we want to impress, we let it down. Any girl who thinks like me... tends not to think. I set things down without a cognitive thought in the world, so I tend to leave a mark everywhere I go. (Good thing I never followed through with early childhood ambitions to work for top secret super-spy government agencies.)
2. "Why are women so afraid of bugs but can regularly pour hot wax on their bodies and rip hair out by its roots?"
:: We can predict what the wax will do. Yes, it hurts, but we see it coming. We have control. We *can't* predict bugs, though, and we don't know where they're going or what they're planning. For the record, if it isn't obvious already, I'm a little less skittish than most girls on this matter. I just don't like house centipedes or stink bugs. ... By the way, is anyone else grossly fascinated by those little hair folicles that are revealed when thick hair is uprooted?
3. "Girls and drama! My God, it’s like an episode of Dawson’s Creek! He said, she said...it goes on and on for years. Do you ever get over an argument?'
:: I really can't relate with this, and I think it's foolish, too. There are probably a multitude of reasons. Foremost, women are more social in general and like to talk. People will talk about whatever they know the most about, and whatever is most interesting to them. If they don't have steady hobbies or interests, then their focus probably turns to the lives of other people. Thus, drama commences. I don't advocate that.
4. 'I am confused enough about why the onslaught of hormones every month, like clockwork, still takes me by surprise (the next day when she gets her period, I’m like, Oh! We got into a fight because she was hormonal!), but why does that fact take her by surprise? Shouldn’t she kind of realize it and be like, ‘Don’t listen to me--I’m hormonal’?"
:: *ahem* Without getting too personal! It's because it does catch us by surprise. I know few people who can predict this with a calendar date, it's not perfect. But any woman unlucky enough to fall to the temptations of PMS isn't in a rational state of mind, anyway. The last thing on our mind is admitting our faults when we're suddenly and inexplicably convinced that you purposely bought us the wrong brand of cheese because you just don't care enough about our relationship.
5. "I don’t get why getting married so soon is so important to most women. Is love not enough?"
:: I'm rather afraid to answer this one, because I'm not even sure. I'm pretty sure the answer varies greatly. A couple thoughts may be that it's because we recognize that we are easily emotional and are afraid of what heartache would do to us -- so we want to solidify a commitment quickly and not risk that. Girls can also easily think, "After all this time does he still not know if I'm write for him?" and run a mile a minute with that thought process. All things aside, I disagree with the wording of the question "is love not enough?" In defense of the male perspective, something like marriage is to be taken seriously and should never be rushed into. But also in defense of the Christian perspective, there is much that is an aspect of romantic love, that is reserved for marriage alone, and those passions must never be awakened before their time. ..But I pulled this from a secular source, so what's to expect?
6. "Why all the shoes? Really, my sister has suitcases full of shoes that I’ve thrown aside more often than she’s even seen them. It boggles the mind!"
:: Gah. I hate shoes. Simple answer -- Guys are almost always casual. If they dress down they have sneakers, if they dress up they have dress shoes. Some have sandals in the summer. All of them are easy to walk in, too. Somehow, it always goes together and no one notices it clashing (unless he wears, say, socks with their sandals. Gahaha...) Girls' wardrobes are more complicated in general, so their shoes not only need to suit the event, but need to match, and because of the existance of high heels, how much we'll be walking is also a factor. (It doesn't help that stores like Payless exist and girls, are inclined toward impulse purchases and vanity.)
7. "I don’t understand their attitudes! Everything is good for, like, the first three months, but after that, it’s a whole different ball game!"
:: That's a two way street. A lot of couples are sickeningly happy for the first few months. It's like anything new. It's awesome, and then you get used to it. And then you get comfortable with it. And when you comfortable enough around other people, you speak your mind more easily. You expect more. I think it's a gift from God that this kind of reality hits -- teaches people what real love is all about!
8. "I don’t get why girls say one thing and mean something different. Like when they say, ‘You can watch the game,’ and then when you do, you get in trouble."
:: Er. That's not nice. Hm. Either such a girl is being purposely bitter and playing games, or she's got an inner struggle going on between trying to be loving and respectful, and of general girlish selfishness, and she doesn't realize her hypocrisy.
9. "What I don’t understand is why girls really, really, really want that nice guy, but once they find one, they can’t date him because now they need a jerk."
:: I can't relate with this, I think it's a secular mentality, and I'm pretty sure this isn't always the case. In general, though, any girl can write a huge list of what she wants in a guy and when she finally gets one, she'll realize all the things she forgot through his flaws, or what she thought she wanted doesn't play out the way she planned. It's easy for anyone to list off all the things they think they're missing out on, but that's covetous. I can't respond to this specifically though. It isn't personality but virtue that makes strong relationships.
10. "Why do girls not like other girls when they first meet them? It’s as if they have to prove themselves to each other before they’ll consider them acceptable to hang out with."
:: This must be another secular occurance. Or maybe I'm not social enough to encounter it. Or maybe we just know how messed up we are and we don't trust anything that is chemically just like us, lol. Maybe we're worried that they'll try to involve us in all that drama that question 3 talked about ...
11. "I don’t understand why women can’t just speak more directly. They always want you to do something, but they don’t put it in words. Instead, they talk around the issue. I wish they were more up front and just said it!"
:: Because it's how our brain works. We think in a "circular" way so we talk in one. We're analytical (can't you tell?) and think that if we can say all the things we think about a subject before we address the point, we'll bring you along in our thought pattern and you'll understand better and agree better than if we just say it. We're afraid that you'll come to some completely bizarre and different understanding if we leave something out. It's most likely why my blogs tend to be so far. And sadly, sometimes people still come to different conclusions, lol.
A few odd things aside, I appreciated this list. It makes me remember that I'm not the only girl in the world and that my quirks aren't unusual, even if they are inconvenient to me and those around me. In the end, we're human and therefore greatly flawed (understatement.) But that doesn't mean that we should just put our hands up and say "I guess that's just how I am" and make it an excuse. Once we recognize our faults, do we continue on doing them, or do we strive to do better?
So here are the "things guys don't understand" -- and my attempt to provide a concise explanation. But don't expect too much, because brevity never was my thing. lol. It does seem to be a hobby of mine to analyse things and give answers, though!
1. "Why, oh, why, can’t you create a single, central location for your hair ties and bobby pins?!? And why is there one on the handle of the microwave?"
:: Simple. If our hair is long enough to use hair ties, we almost always have one around our wrist. When we don't want it getting in the way, we tie it back. When we want to impress, we let it down. Any girl who thinks like me... tends not to think. I set things down without a cognitive thought in the world, so I tend to leave a mark everywhere I go. (Good thing I never followed through with early childhood ambitions to work for top secret super-spy government agencies.)
2. "Why are women so afraid of bugs but can regularly pour hot wax on their bodies and rip hair out by its roots?"
:: We can predict what the wax will do. Yes, it hurts, but we see it coming. We have control. We *can't* predict bugs, though, and we don't know where they're going or what they're planning. For the record, if it isn't obvious already, I'm a little less skittish than most girls on this matter. I just don't like house centipedes or stink bugs. ... By the way, is anyone else grossly fascinated by those little hair folicles that are revealed when thick hair is uprooted?
3. "Girls and drama! My God, it’s like an episode of Dawson’s Creek! He said, she said...it goes on and on for years. Do you ever get over an argument?'
:: I really can't relate with this, and I think it's foolish, too. There are probably a multitude of reasons. Foremost, women are more social in general and like to talk. People will talk about whatever they know the most about, and whatever is most interesting to them. If they don't have steady hobbies or interests, then their focus probably turns to the lives of other people. Thus, drama commences. I don't advocate that.
4. 'I am confused enough about why the onslaught of hormones every month, like clockwork, still takes me by surprise (the next day when she gets her period, I’m like, Oh! We got into a fight because she was hormonal!), but why does that fact take her by surprise? Shouldn’t she kind of realize it and be like, ‘Don’t listen to me--I’m hormonal’?"
:: *ahem* Without getting too personal! It's because it does catch us by surprise. I know few people who can predict this with a calendar date, it's not perfect. But any woman unlucky enough to fall to the temptations of PMS isn't in a rational state of mind, anyway. The last thing on our mind is admitting our faults when we're suddenly and inexplicably convinced that you purposely bought us the wrong brand of cheese because you just don't care enough about our relationship.
5. "I don’t get why getting married so soon is so important to most women. Is love not enough?"
:: I'm rather afraid to answer this one, because I'm not even sure. I'm pretty sure the answer varies greatly. A couple thoughts may be that it's because we recognize that we are easily emotional and are afraid of what heartache would do to us -- so we want to solidify a commitment quickly and not risk that. Girls can also easily think, "After all this time does he still not know if I'm write for him?" and run a mile a minute with that thought process. All things aside, I disagree with the wording of the question "is love not enough?" In defense of the male perspective, something like marriage is to be taken seriously and should never be rushed into. But also in defense of the Christian perspective, there is much that is an aspect of romantic love, that is reserved for marriage alone, and those passions must never be awakened before their time. ..But I pulled this from a secular source, so what's to expect?
6. "Why all the shoes? Really, my sister has suitcases full of shoes that I’ve thrown aside more often than she’s even seen them. It boggles the mind!"
:: Gah. I hate shoes. Simple answer -- Guys are almost always casual. If they dress down they have sneakers, if they dress up they have dress shoes. Some have sandals in the summer. All of them are easy to walk in, too. Somehow, it always goes together and no one notices it clashing (unless he wears, say, socks with their sandals. Gahaha...) Girls' wardrobes are more complicated in general, so their shoes not only need to suit the event, but need to match, and because of the existance of high heels, how much we'll be walking is also a factor. (It doesn't help that stores like Payless exist and girls, are inclined toward impulse purchases and vanity.)
7. "I don’t understand their attitudes! Everything is good for, like, the first three months, but after that, it’s a whole different ball game!"
:: That's a two way street. A lot of couples are sickeningly happy for the first few months. It's like anything new. It's awesome, and then you get used to it. And then you get comfortable with it. And when you comfortable enough around other people, you speak your mind more easily. You expect more. I think it's a gift from God that this kind of reality hits -- teaches people what real love is all about!
8. "I don’t get why girls say one thing and mean something different. Like when they say, ‘You can watch the game,’ and then when you do, you get in trouble."
:: Er. That's not nice. Hm. Either such a girl is being purposely bitter and playing games, or she's got an inner struggle going on between trying to be loving and respectful, and of general girlish selfishness, and she doesn't realize her hypocrisy.
9. "What I don’t understand is why girls really, really, really want that nice guy, but once they find one, they can’t date him because now they need a jerk."
:: I can't relate with this, I think it's a secular mentality, and I'm pretty sure this isn't always the case. In general, though, any girl can write a huge list of what she wants in a guy and when she finally gets one, she'll realize all the things she forgot through his flaws, or what she thought she wanted doesn't play out the way she planned. It's easy for anyone to list off all the things they think they're missing out on, but that's covetous. I can't respond to this specifically though. It isn't personality but virtue that makes strong relationships.
10. "Why do girls not like other girls when they first meet them? It’s as if they have to prove themselves to each other before they’ll consider them acceptable to hang out with."
:: This must be another secular occurance. Or maybe I'm not social enough to encounter it. Or maybe we just know how messed up we are and we don't trust anything that is chemically just like us, lol. Maybe we're worried that they'll try to involve us in all that drama that question 3 talked about ...
11. "I don’t understand why women can’t just speak more directly. They always want you to do something, but they don’t put it in words. Instead, they talk around the issue. I wish they were more up front and just said it!"
:: Because it's how our brain works. We think in a "circular" way so we talk in one. We're analytical (can't you tell?) and think that if we can say all the things we think about a subject before we address the point, we'll bring you along in our thought pattern and you'll understand better and agree better than if we just say it. We're afraid that you'll come to some completely bizarre and different understanding if we leave something out. It's most likely why my blogs tend to be so far. And sadly, sometimes people still come to different conclusions, lol.
A few odd things aside, I appreciated this list. It makes me remember that I'm not the only girl in the world and that my quirks aren't unusual, even if they are inconvenient to me and those around me. In the end, we're human and therefore greatly flawed (understatement.) But that doesn't mean that we should just put our hands up and say "I guess that's just how I am" and make it an excuse. Once we recognize our faults, do we continue on doing them, or do we strive to do better?
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