Today, a friend of mine, Eliza, shared this post with me  Ten Dating Red Flags, by Rich Santos over at Marie Claire.  Rich shares some very important relationship points that are equally applicable to men and to women.  

For example:

1.  You Are Not on the VIP List For Breaking News.  Were you the last to learn about this person’s job promotion or newborn niece or nephew?  Once things are serious, you should be among the first to know about exciting news, or bad news.

  OR

3.  The Don’t Make Any Sacrifices. Healthy relationships don’t require bending over backwards all the time, but a certain amount of sacrifice is necessary in a selfless union.  When two of my friends first started dating one another, she demanded that he go to Farm Aid for her birthday, which was also the opening NFL football Sunday.  While all the guys gathered to watch the games, he was sweltering on some field attending Farm Aid-an event he never would have gone to if she hadn’t of invited him.  Now that’s sacrifice.

These points, they are important.  There needs to be some sense of connection, some sense of an ”us” in a long term relationship.  That give and take, it builds trust and security. 

The differences between the sexes can be very deep and mysterious and in some ways that’s good. Too much familiarity can change something sexy into something friend-y, but for the most part, there has to be some common ground, some shared vision of where we are coming from if we are to ever get the next phase in a relationship. It is heartening to learn that men and women are looking for the same things in a relationship. It’s boys vs. girls world. 

I want to understand men.  I want to figure out the man-puzzle, if there is one. I love men and it’s important to me that my daughters learn to enjoy and understand the opposite sex, as well, which is tough when you are growing up in single parent household. My hope for their future is a loving and enduring relationship. It is my hope for your future, too.

Do you have your own version of a red flags list?  Do you have an important piece of the man-puzzle mystery that you’d like to share? 

Post from: Blisstree

Men and Women – Are We Really That Different?