7 Myths About Men

We all know that men are from Mars and women are from Venus.  And that probably contributes to the fact that women often feel misunderstood by their male counterparts.  We know that ladies at times think they are the only ones misjudged.

But today the relationship editors of Cotton Candy are pointing out the misconceptions about men.  We’re tackling seven of the most common stereotypes about men, in hopes of creating better communication between the two sexes – or at least garnering a few laughs.

Myth No. 1: Men Only Think About Sex

Research from The Ohio State University attempts to debunk this common stereotype.  A 2011 study, which involved 163 female and 120 male college students, all ages 18 to 25, confirmed, men do think about sex more than women. According to the study, men think about sex 19 times a day while women approximately 10 times.  But research showed men don’t think about sex much more than they think about food, 18 times a day, and sleep, 11 times a day.

Myth No. 2: Men Are Not Gossips

Bottom line: everyone gossips.  Studies from the Social Issues Research Centre have found that 33 percent of men gossip every day or almost every day — compared with only 26 percent of women.

Myth No. 3: Men Are Intimidated by Strong Women

Most men want women who compliment them but who also have their own identities.  A woman who wants to be a partner in the relationship but still has her own goals, desires, opinions and ideas is attractive.

Myth No. 4: Men Don’t Have Feelings

Men do have feelings.  But men and women also have different conversational styles. Some men find it more difficult to attach words to emotions.  Of course, there are always men who are gifted in communication and expressing their emotions.  But many men are culturally trained to not identify or express their feelings.   Like women, men experience strong emotions, including depression, excitement, stress and anxiety.

7 Myths About Men

Myth No. 5: Men Don’t Like to Be Asked Out

False.  Most men will tell you they do not mind when a woman asks for a date.  Women, you can take the initiative.  This will let a man know you are interested and will relieve the pressure from him about possible rejection.  In fact, men view women who take the initiative as attractive.

Myth No. 6:  Men Don’t Like to Commit

Men are stereotyped as being less interested in settling down or having children than women, but a 2011 comprehensive study of singles conducted by Match.com shows the opposite.  The study shows that men, especially young men between the ages of 21 to 34, are just as eager to marry or more eager to marry than women.  According to the findings, 51 percent of men and just 46 percent of women want to have children during those years. And interestingly, the study found that 54 percent of men say they have experienced love at first sight, compared to just 41 percent of women.

Myth No. 7:  Men Aren’t as Talkative

In 2007 researchers at the University of Arizona found that men talk just as much as women — on average 16,000 words in a day.  The eight-year long study used digital voice recorders to track how many words that hundreds of American and Mexican college students spoke over several days.  The research expunged the longtime stereotypes of the strong, silent man and the overly chatty woman who nags him.