Category Archives: intimate partner

Intimate Relationships We Share with Men

With the divorce rate continuing to hover around 50%, understanding between the sexes is worth the effort it takes from both partners. Encouraging love and forgiveness can sometimes be difficult when men and women tend to cope with the stresses between them differently. While women generally feel more comfortable talking with their spouses about what is bothering them, men often withdraw and pull away to think about – rather than talk about – the issues. This can lead to each making mistakes in the way they interpret each other’s actions. … Continue reading

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Men at Work – More than Just a Sign

Linguist Deborah Tannen has written numerous books about the conversational styles of women and men, in families and at work. According to Tannen, problems can occur, especially in a job setting where the members are not as knowledgeable about each other, when men and women don’t understand the rituals that define each other’s approach. Women, even in a work setting, generally use conversational strategies that are considerate and sensitive to the other person’s feelings, even when giving negative feedback. Demonstrating an emphasis on getting the job done without “flexing their … Continue reading

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Competition and Cooperation

Yesterday, in honor of Father’s Day, we started a blog series about how to better understand the men in our lives. We looked at how their conversations often revolve around how to fix things, solve a problem, accomplish a goal – that is, when they’re not about the score of the latest, or a classic old, game. Visiting this week with our three young grandsons, it is easy to see how this focus develops early. As we watch them play together, and play with them, it is striking how many … Continue reading

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The Men in Our Lives

Last week, we enjoyed Amy Dickinson’s visit to our blog and her look at the important role women in her family – “The Mighty Queens” – have played. Now, with Father’s Day just a week away, we turn our focus toward the men in our lives – fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers, sons, teachers, grandsons, even colleagues – and consider our relationships with them. We play a vital role in nourishing “our men” and are nourished by them as well. But how much do we really understand them? John Gray has … Continue reading

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