Relationships
How a
man feels loved
Part II Section 1
Relationships
Part I. Introduction
Section 1:
The Best Mirror
Section 2: Men and women are different - an overview
Part II. How do we feel loved
Section 1;
How does a woman feel loved
Section 2: How does a man feel loved
At
the heart of it, a man wants to touch the truth -- that you love him --
that he's "the one" for you. He wants to feel that he inspires
happiness in you and that you accept, trust, and appreciate him. At his
depth a man needs to know that he makes a positive difference in your
life, otherwise he doesn’t even want to live.
A man’s deepest fear is that he is not good enough. If he looks in your eyes and sees love, he feels loved, and in that innocence, he loves you in return. He loves you for the feeling of energy which your appreciation and love evoke in him.
For a woman to maintain this state
is next to impossible! Especially given the ways they disappoint us!
But this is the consciousness of a graceful woman. Yogi Bhajan says that when a woman fills herself with a forgiving, loving consciousness, everything on the earth will come to her, because her grace as a woman is so radiant.
Many men
had mothers who didn’t come through for them. For example, many Mothers
had a difficult time letting go of their sons. The boys have to pull away in order to define themselves. Even
when grown, men seem to still need to withdraw to find solutions and identity.
Fortunately, unlike his mother, you can let him go. You’ll be very
surprised that when he comes back he’ll be feeling a lot of love and
appreciation for you. If you can greet that love with affection, life
will be very enjoyable.
Where a woman feels love for those who emotionally and physically support her,
a man feels love in response to a woman's gracious, and loving reactions to him.
The song writer , Eric Clapton once wrote -- "And then she asked me, 'do you feel
alright?' I said 'My darling, I feel wonderful tonight-- I feel wonderful because I see
the love light in your eyes...and my darling, you were wonderful tonight...'"
John Gray, author of Men are From Mars, has expressed a man's needs extremely well:
When he is Vulnerable
Sometimes men are very vulnerable in ways that are familiar to women.
You can tell because they come to you to talk. They ask you what you
think of a situation.
Once they finish speaking,
they are ready to hear your advice, and it is the ultimate sign of trust
and love from a man.
When men help you, men are very vulnerable. Were they competent at making you happy? They are not sure, but you can let them know. They need a lot of appreciation and your expression of happiness will evoke more helping behaviors.
How a man knows he is loved
Let him know
you
love having sex with him |
Don't
give unasked for advice |
If he disappoints you try
not to get angry |
Show that
you are
happy to be with him when he comes home form work |
Don’t make a big deal out of his errors – like forgetting his keys, | Ask
for things you want, rather than emphasize what he has done
wrong |
When a man makes a mistake, or when he feels less than competent, he is very vulnerable and he can actually get mad at you! John Gray explains that if a man feels ashamed or sorry, “then he needs more love" therefore he gives more points if she responds by being supportive. The bigger the mistake, the more points he gives her for her love. If he doesn’t receive her love he tends to give her penalty points according to how much he needed her love.”(203) and these penalty points show up in his anger and withdrawal.
When he is angry
Men’s anger is very confusing to women. Men have testosterone coursing through their bodies and sometimes the flow is very strong. You may be the victim of “penalty points” for your not loving him when he was vulnerable, or you may have done nothing at all, but there he is, yelling and screaming.
Some men get angry too much. For them, the problems can be physically based (undetected blood sugar problems, chemical imbalances). Medical help may be necessary in some cases.
For
most of us, the truth is, we could all do better managing our anger. You
probably both get angry and hurt each other, though perhaps in different
ways.
Gray goes on to to say, "[On Venus], when someone is upset everyone gets
involves with one another and tries to understand what is bothering her
by asking a lot of questions. When a tornado passes on Mars, everyone finds a ditch and
lies low.” (204)
Steve, for all the professional world to see, was a mild mannered, likeable professor. He was tall, and angular – just what Michelle was looking for: a solid, stable man. But after being married for awhile, Steve had a hard day at work. He blew up at Michelle for bringing up a problem with the plumbing. “I can't even come home to find any peace!” he yelled as he stormed off to his study. She was quite taken back, but she understood men and knew she it was best to leave him alone, let him work it out and talk later.
After about an hour, he came to find her. He told her about his hard day
at work and gingerly asked about the plumbing. She firmly, but lovingly,
asked him not to yell at her again. He nodded his head and hugged her.
Although he wouldn’t say it, he knew he was wrong and he
was sorry.
He felt her forgiveness and he loved her very much.
Men rarely say they are sorry because they are afraid that they won’t be forgiven When they are wrong, they are terrified of their own incompetence. A man will love you very much if you forgive him his flaws and love him anyway.
When he is withdrawn
Maybe it was those dominant Mothers – or maybe its true that its harder for a boy to define himself, so he has to withdraw. As a man they still need to withdraw for many reasons --
to think through a problem, to consolidate themselves when they have been too intimate, or to work through their anger.A woman can
understand that she can best nurture a man, not with questions and
sharing her concern (as she might with a woman), but rather by
maintaining her own contentment and simply letting him go. Sometimes
they need to cope with their problems by
themselves, without interference in the form of questions or
worry. A man will feel loved and appreciate you a great deal if you can
graciously allow him to have his space.
A Man really doesn't need anything but your love
For a man to feel loved, he doesn't need anything except your love. Love means you authentically appreciate, trust, and forgive him his mistakes. When a man recognizes that you love him, your love lights his heart, and for him, you are an angel.
A Man really doesn't need anything but your love
"
In the name of God we marry just to assure one thing:God has witnessed I am for you and you are for me." Yogi Bhajan (1986, 133)
Relationships
Part I.
Introduction
Section 1:
The Best Mirror
Section 2: Men and women are different - an overview
Part II. How do we
feel loved
Section 1;
How does a woman feel loved
Section 2:
How does a man feel loved
This is a two part series designed to help you understand your partner in new ways. In Part I we look at some of the psychological underpinnings of relationships. In Part II, we try to understand how men and women are different and, based on those differences, how each feels loved.
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