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Have you ever been in a situation with your man where you ask him to talk about his feelings and he just sits there with the most confused look? Feelings? What feelings? For most men, the topic of emotions is definitely not one they want to get into. They would much rather talk about what they're thinking than how they're feeling. For us, women on the other hand, it can be frustrating to try and explain our emotions to our spouses because often times men simply just don't get it. Why is it so? Are men just not as emotional as women are? Do they even have emotions to begin with? Here we discuss a few things we need to understand about men and their emotions.
Men do not have the language for emotions.
First and foremost, the answer to the question above is yes, men have just as much emotions as women do. The only difference is that men do not have the language for it. Scientifically speaking, women and men differ in the way they use their brain when it comes to emotions. Women have the ability to connect two sides of the brain, one side being responsible for language and the other being responsible for emotions. Men however, do not have this capability – there is a lack of cross overs between the two hemispheres.
Men fear emotions.
On top of their inability to connect between feeling something and communicating it – men also fear expressing their feelings. Because women have always been known or seen as the 'emotional' gender, men often worry that being by in touch with their feelings and even worse expressing how they feel, they will become more 'feminine'. Men have also learnt ways to dismiss and/or hide what they feel to the point of it becoming second nature. They could feel all sorts of emotions on the inside yet appear nonchalant on the outside because this is just how they've learnt to deal with it from a very young age; "boys don't cry".
So, what can women do to help?
Women often assume that just because men do not talk about their feelings much, it means that they are not emotional or caring. We need to understand that men do not have the luxury to express their feelings as openly as women do. So, instead of assuming your spouse/partner does not want to tell you how he feels, understand that he may just not know how to. It's also important to remember that when a man does show his emotions, such as crying, for example, it does not in any way indicate that he is less 'masculine'. Crying is just a part of being a human being, for both man and woman. So, instead of being freaked out by your spouse's tears, just be chilled about it. He will appreciate that you don't make a big deal out of it.
