Emotional Women and Not-So-Emotional Men

It can be quite difficult to talk to men about emotions. Having a boyfriend, a brother, and a father around me often, I have learned that avoiding an emotional topic is usually best. Most men that I have met are very literal, and only think, don't feel. This can cause conflict because women are generally emotional like to talk about their feelings, so it can be difficult to relate to men sometimes. If I have a conversationwith a guy, I make sure to make it as unemotional as possible. This avoids any awkward silences or looks, and helps the conversation go as smooth as possible.

Deborah Tannen showed a perfect example of an unemotional guy and a more emotional girl. A guy might say, "You shouldn't feel bad because your problems aren't so bad," while a girl would say "You shouldn't feel bad because I've had similar experiences" (Tannen 243). This shows how a man is less emotionally attached while a woman tries to feel for the other woman and share the problem with her. Talking is also a sign of closeness for women, or intimacy (Tannen 244). Since men are so unemotional with their converstaions, it can be difficult to relate with them because women are more emotional in general, and they can feel like they are lacking intimacy when lacking genuine conversation.