8 Myths About Men Debunked

Think you know everything you need to know about men? Some women complain that they can’t figure out the inner workings of the male mind, while others claim to be experts on the opposite sex. Chances are that even the most experienced women mistakenly believe at least some of the most common misconceptions about their male counterparts. Let's shoot them down once and for all. You never know, it could improve your relationship with your partner, friends, or relatives!

Men are Unemotional

Men are conditioned to play the tough guy role and hide their emotions from a very young age. We’ve all seen the gender roles at play in families all over the country — nay, all over the world. A little girl falls down and scrapes her knee and she runs crying into her daddy’s open, loving arms.

Replay the scenario with a little boy and he may very well be told to suck it up and stop whining like a girl. While not all children are raised with these gender stereotypes, many still are. So it’s no surprise that women continue to feed into the misconception that men are not emotional. But not showing emotions is not the same as not having emotions. Because masculinity prevents men from displaying their emotions on a regular basis, they learn to conceal their emotions on the inside. The trick for a woman, is to convince the guy to get in touch with those emotions and learn to release them via healthy communication. Words will do the trick; overt displays of crying are not necessary, though they are OK.

Men Don’t Want to Commit

It is that ingrained sense of masculinity that teaches many men to suppress their emotions. One of the problems with this emotional oppression is that it can affect a man’s emotional behavior, specifically, his ability to profess his undying love to the object of his affection. While a man may very well be experiencing that head over heels, travel to the ends of the earth, jump in front of a moving train type of love on the inside, his outward demeanor probably won’t be displaying any signs of his inner self. And though he may already believe that he has found his life partner, many men will fight the feelings, refusing to give in to a life of monogamy.

Though many men act as though they love their freedom and independence, chances are that most of them really do place a lot of value on being in a loyal, monogamous relationship. The problem isn’t really with men not wanting to commit, it’s with them being able to give into what they want and take the leap into monogamy. Women should be happy to learn that once men do commit, according to an interesting study, up to 81 percent of men claimed that they would honor that commitment and never cheat on their partner.

Men Don’t Know How to Communicate

The truth is that men love to communicate, but many times they have a different way of communicating than women do. Men will often hold back what they want to say for fear of offending women, who they believe may not be able to handle what they have to say. This can lead to men beating around the bush and communicating indirectly. Women can either learn to read between the lines, or better yet, squash any misconception that they are overly emotional and too sensitive to handle what men have to say. On the other hand, some men communicate so directly that women do get offended, and it's important to recognize that that's a different communication style, but not a wrong one.

Men are Intimidated by Strong Women

Many men are attracted to, not intimidated by, strong women. And while some men actually are intimidated by a strong, confident, independent woman, the majority of men are not. Confident men are proud to have a partner who is equally confident and strong. Most men find being with a strong, independent women to be empowering, not emasculating.

Myths About Men And Sex

Men Always Want to Have Sex With Their Female Friends

While some men agree that a man can’t be friends with a woman without wanting to have sex with her, there are many men who vehemently disagree. A lot of factors come in to play with this one. Is the man single? Is the female a long-time friend or a just a good time acquaintance? Finding a female friend attractive doesn’t mean that there will always be sexual tension when she is around.

The consensus is that it is all relative. While men very well may wish to have sex with some of their female friends, they usually don’t want to get down and dirty with all of them. Maybe some, but certainly not all.

You Can Predict the Size of a Man’s Penis by the Size of His Hands or Feet

Believe it or not, this is one myth that has been holding strong. Thanks to a study conducted at the University college of London, we can finally put this rumor to rest. According to the team of researchers who conducted the study, there is absolutely no correlation between the size of a man’s shoe and the size of his penis. Hundreds of men participated in the study, and all those less than average shoe sized men will be relieved to learn that there is no scientific basis for this popular myth.

Men Don’t Enjoy Foreplay

Men don’t enjoy foreplay because they are un-evolved creatures who can’t control their sexual urges long enough to even undo their zipper without completely losing their minds. Right? Wrong! The truth is that the majority of men actually enjoy foreplay as much as women do. Though men do enjoy a spontaneous, quick session every once in a while, they certainly don’t dislike a nice long night of intimacy with their partner. Just like most women, many men believe that foreplay is an important part of intimacy that can actually enhance the overall sexual experience. Even men whose libido prefers to get right down to business often enjoy some level of foreplay simply for the benefit of pleasing their partner.

Men Only Care About Sex

When it comes to finding a longtime mate, there’s no denying that men rely on their sexual instincts. The power of physical attraction is fierce, so fierce that it often is the first aspect of a woman that a man will notice. So naturally, sex is important to men, and a healthy sex life is an important part of a good relationship. But while it is important, it certainly is not the most important factor in predicting whether a relationship can last, and it is also not men's only priority. Though many might not openly admit it, most men agree that they see sex with their partner as a bonding experience that brings them closer on an emotional level. Most men are not raging sexaholics who think only with their penis.

And contrary to popular belief, they do not really think about sex every 7 minutes. A study conducted by the Kinsey Institute found that 54 percent of men think about sex at least once per day. Surprisingly, 43 percent of men stated that they only thought about sex once every week or so.

Perhaps the myth to top them all is that there is anything universally true about "men" as a category. Whatever man you're trying to understand better, he's as unique as the rest of them — and he's the expert on himself. Got questions? Ask him.