Men and women think differently. And they display their love in different ways. Couples who stay together for decades have certain habits in common. Many women complain their man was a nice person at the start but now he is a complete jerk. Generally, women tend to be more sensitive and accommodating – two areas that hinder many males. That said, men do exhibit a common set of behaviors that demonstrate their love for a woman.
1. HE LOVES HOW YOU LOOK ON YOUR WORST DAYS
Remember how much effort we put into looking our best during those early dates? Of course. All of us want to look and feel good when meeting up with a potential partner. Then there’s the actual relationship. As we spend more time with each other, comfort levels build, and our need to impress declines sharply. We’re free to wander around in our pajamas, stain our shirts, and forgo the hair gel.
2. HE ISN’T AFRAID TO MAKE SACRIFICE
When we are in love, it’s very much easy to make personal sacrifices. And when a man is with his true love, he will feel discomfort to see his woman unhappy. He will desire to sort out the problem and do whatever he can. As such, making sacrifices for your happiness is one way a man demonstrates his love for you. He will almost always put you first, even if it means changing his plans or stepping out of his comfort zone.
3. HE SHOWS VULNERABILITY
Men being men, we’re cautious about showing any behavior that can be perceived by others as a weakness. In love, however, this deeply ingrained attitude often falls by the wayside – and we don’t care. If we’re in love, we’re far more comfortable with feeling and acting vulnerable. Vulnerability will assuredly make several appearances throughout a relationship – especially if we’re with you only.
4. HE LISTEN TO YOU CLOSELY
It’s a fact that women are better listeners than men and men only pay attention to the things they are interested in. So, when a man not only hears you but actively pays attention and intelligently responds – a skill called active listening – you can have confidence that he’s smitten.
5. HE FIGHTS FOR YOU
Okay, personal story. This writer was visiting a hospital when his girlfriend was being harassed by a security guard and a couple of his ilk. When calling to ask where she was, the panic was evident in her voice. He was absolutely furious. After calming down enough to navigate the hospital, this writer came upon said dirtbags, rolled his sleeves up and unequivocally lit into them. (Mind you, this happened in a foreign country – so some restraint was in order.) Following the girlfriend’s pleas and arm tugs, we all left unscathed. What ignited my rage? The hurt in my woman’s voice. The stomach-dropping, gut-clenching hurt that can only be felt by someone who so dearly loves another.
6. HE IS PROUD OF YOU
In love, a real man isn’t shy about saying how proud he is of you. Whether you’re a fantastic mother, a hard worker, or reaching your goals, you can rest assured that your efforts don’t go unnoticed. In fact, all of the admirable things you’ve done and are working towards brings us a great amount of pride and joy. On a related note, we’re not (too) upset about losing to you. If you’re both very competitive people, he’ll probably feel a bit less crushed following a swift defeat! (Well done!)
7. HE FIGHTS WITH YOU
This one’s obvious, but just to avoid offending anyone – we’re not talking fights of the insult-throwing and drama-inducing variety. We’re certainly not talking about physical altercations. That said, if a man loves you and is emotionally invested in his relationship, he will initiate a “fight” to avoid losing you; even if that means fighting with the woman he loves. Why? Because we’re afraid. We love you, and we the slightest threat to our relationship is the equivalent of a punch to the gut. If we’re fighting with this purpose in mind, we want to make things work and demonstrate our commitment.
8. HE RESPECT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
If we know that someone is important to you, by default, they become important to us. The reason is simple: you cherish family and friends, and the last thing we want is to hurt your feelings. While we may not like one of your family members (see: “in-laws and husband”) or one of your catty friends, we’ll zip it because we know how much they mean to you.