Women vs. Men in communication

[Gloria25]

Look, from what I've learned over the years, we women are the "social" of the genders. We are intuitive, more emotional, have hormones - the tools that make us better able to socialize and communicate.

 

Does anyone think that translates into RLs where we women are sorta better/smarter at dating than men because we're more intuitive/social/communicative than men?

 

I sometimes think that while our ability to communicate makes us better at dating and picking up on cues with guys - it also goes to our detriment cuz when we can't accept that men just aren't like women in the ways they communicate - it frustrates us too.

 

I don't know...opinions welcome

[blackcat777]

It's all too common that women "read into" what men say... when men are cut and dry, they say what they mean. Huge source of conflict.

 

Women expect men think like them, and, men think very differently. They're results-oriented... whereas women are all about the emotional experience.

 

Neither is better or worse, they are just different. Being aware of these differences helps IMMENSELY with communication.

 

I think I read somewhere that women speak five times as many words as men in a day.

[blackcat777]

I read a lot of books/blogs/etc. about the differences in the way men and women think, and it fascinates me.

 

Men also think about the challenge, and value freedom--whereas women value being understood and connectedness.

 

My boyfriend loves the way his hair looks while he's growing it out because it's WILD and a reminder of his freedom. He has to finish the wasabi on everyone else's plate for the challenge.

 

I laugh whenever there's a moment I realize I'm just talking and talking and talking and talking...

[blackcat777]

I also read a book that mentioned the idea that one person in the relationship can be the "connection guardian" if they are more inclined to communicate. Sometimes it's useful to figure out how to initiate tactful communication about an issue that keeps the relationship running smoothly.

 

Although, I always leave the navigation to my man... whether it's finding my car in the parking garage, driving at night, or finding our way out of a multiplayer dungeon crawler together...

[Got it]

Look, from what I've learned over the years, we women are the "social" of the genders. We are intuitive, more emotional, have hormones - the tools that make us better able to socialize and communicate.

 

Does anyone think that translates into RLs where we women are sorta better/smarter at dating than men because we're more intuitive/social/communicative than men?

 

I sometimes think that while our ability to communicate makes us better at dating and picking up on cues with guys - it also goes to our detriment cuz when we can't accept that men just aren't like women in the ways they communicate - it frustrates us too.

 

I don't know...opinions welcome

 

I disagree and personality assessment has show no differences in genders and their thinking, communication, etc. It comes down to the individual.

 

I know many women are very sucky communicators. And I know some men who are stellar.

[salparadise]

I think there may be a bit of gender bias in these things, but certainly not to the extent that you can paint either gender with a broad brush. Plus, anyone can learn to communicate more effectively, assume at lot less and listen more, to make an effort to feel what the other is feeling without filtering it through your own belief system first. Practically speaking, generalizations don't help much. There is much more variation between individuals than the genders, so be attuned to the person and assume very little.

[TaraMaiden2]

Good and effective communication is being flushed down the pan anyway, by alarmingly increased levels of texting and Fb journalling.

The days of people actually sitting down and talking things through, are fewer and far between.

You only have to look at the numerous - if not countless - threads on here by members - of BOTH genders - wailing "What does s/he mean by this text?!?"

 

Yegads, it makes me truly worried for the up-and-coming 'next generation'...

 

Lost cause, or what?!

[casey.lives]

Im a girl and i suck a$$ at communicating.

[blackcat777]

Both genders can communicate effectively. Both can also communicate effectively together.

 

Women will process information WITH emotion, and relate to emotional nuances of details; men relate efficient results without factoring in emotion the same way. Women have thicker corpus callosums.

 

Sometimes men want to help by offering the most effective solution; sometimes this will upset a woman because he didn't take her feelings into consideration. Tell me this doesn't sound familiar?

 

There is also some science behind estrogen and linguistic development.

 

It's the challenges of women communicating logically and men considering emotions in their communications... These are where the conflicts come from. Learning to understand how the opposite sex generally processes ideas has helped me in relating to my boyfriend immensely. We also rarely miscommunicate... but it still happens from time to time.

 

I don't think sexy caveman hunters with hard ripped bodies had much time to talk while they were bringing down the beast... it would have cost them their lives.

 

Meanwhile, women discussed in detail where exactly to find the berries, when to pick them, how to prepare them...

 

^^ It's a simplified paradigm, but it has solved so many communication roadblocks for me.

[Nikki Sahagin]

In my personal opinion, I think women are better communicators. We have emotional intelligence and we nurture and connect when we speak.

 

 

I think men speak in a logical, practical way. They don't talk just to talk. Well, some do and I love men like that!

 

 

Women talk about the world and life and it's fabulous. I wouldn't trade my female communicative skills for men's. In fact, I wish my boyfriend could talk with me the way the girls can!

[Keenly]

I absolutely disagree, but really just because of one thing. One part of good communication is knowing when not to communicate. There are issues you should communicate to your partner, sure, but one thing you certainly don't want to do is dump every minor issue in your life onto your partner.

 

 

So to break it down, women communicate too much, and men don't communicate enough, and the world goes 'round.

[Grumpybutfun]

I absolutely disagree, but really just because of one thing. One part of good communication is knowing when not to communicate. There are issues you should communicate to your partner, sure, but one thing you certainly don't want to do is dump every minor issue in your life onto your partner.

 

 

So to break it down, women communicate too much, and men don't communicate enough, and the world goes 'round.

 

As the father of two daughters...I can attest to this...everything is said...regardless of necessity....my ears hurt sometimes.,

G

[Keenly]

As the father of two daughters...I can attest to this...everything is said...regardless of necessity....my ears hurt sometimes.,

G

Then you get called out for not listening! I can only say "I'm sorry dear but I don't have the mental energy to process the complaints about the coffee being cold" or whatever.

 

With that in mind, serious issues, I'm all ears.

[GravityMan]

I think an individual man or woman's communication style depends somewhat on upbringing and the environment/culture he or she grew up in and was socialized in. Likely moreso than the person's gender. But the dependency link is not ironclad (not even close), hence we shouldn't paint with a broad brush.

 

In the end, everyone's just wired uniquely and communicates, thinks and navigates thru life in their own way. And all sorts of life experiences and other variables can possibly influence how one views and interacts with the world in a subtle, minor or major way.

[Frank2thepoint]

Does anyone think that translates into RLs where we women are sorta better/smarter at dating than men because we're more intuitive/social/communicative than men?

 

This looks like a power struggle. Where one gender thinks they are better than the other. Communication is a skill that requires practice. And the willingness to communicate requires the person to break out of their comfort zone. Often men are seem as reticent, but there are plenty of women that are like that as well. It is the individual's upbringing, environment, and communication style that determines how well they express their thoughts. Women may be more intuitive and social compared to men, but that does not guarantee they are better at communicating thoughts and concerns compared to men.