dating

Men share what they really wish women understood about them.

Ask a man what women want, and nine times out of 10 you’ll get a resounding “no bloody clue”.

It’s been long documented in pop culture that when it comes to understanding women, men simply have no idea. There are movies, books, websites and apps all dedicated to solving this evolutionary mystery.

But what about what men want? Can we as women confidently say we know what the men in our lives really want?

Before you blurt out “cars and beer”, Reddit has uncovered some surprising insights into what our gender counterparts wish we understood about them.

They need compliments just as much as we do.

When one user expressed a desire to receive “sincere compliments” from his significant other, it sent the thread into overdrive with men sharing similar needs.

“You don’t even know the amount of times per day I think of the girl I went to 10th grade with, who once told me I was the best looking guy in the school. That sh*t changes our lives,” replied one, adding, “most men simply don’t get compliments from other men, so nice things from you are worth quite a bit.”

But the key word here is sincere. “Real, honest compliments don’t come too often,” one user said.

“Funnily enough, when people say them and I’m caught off guard/surprised they usually follow up with, ‘Oh as if you don’t know’ or ‘You must hear that all the time’, not realising how little guys get told that kind of stuff.”

what men want
"Real, honest compliments don't come too often," wrote one user. (Image: iStock)
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They don't always pick up on 'subtle' hints.

I think we can all agree, this is something we already know. But it's good to get a refresher on why your partner might not have noticed any number of hints you've been dropping lately.

"We're not very good at picking up subtle hints," a user confessed. "Sometimes, we're not very good at picking up obvious hints too."

Others agreed, writing "I didn't even know my current gf was into me until she asked me out... Apparently, she was making it pretty obvious?" and "My gf literally had to write me a note stating plainly that she liked me. We're now dating and I still have my doubts."

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Also, it's worth noting the old "I'm fine" when you have something on your mind has never, and will never get through, as verified by one user. "If you say you're fine and you're not, how the f*ck am I supposed to know?"

Listen: Osher Gunsberg discusses the line single people are sick of hearing, on the Love Life podcast. (Post continues after audio).

Space isn't always a bad thing.

Sometimes the idea of our partners "needing space" can send us into a vortex of irrational overthinking. That's not to say time apart can't have a negative impact on a relationship, rather, that it doesn't have to.

"Space makes me want you more. Not love you less," wrote one user. "Sometimes when we want to be alone, we are not rejecting you. We just need to be alone for a little while."

"I don't know how to tell this to my girlfriend without her getting at least somewhat upset," confessed one user.

Another acknowledged "it's the lack of conversation around social anxiety that's the problem. Some people think being in a relationship means being joined at the hip 24/7".

Balls are very sensitive

No explanation needed.

Do you think the sexes will ever be able to truly 'understand' one another?