From time to time, you’ve probably heard some of your male friends and colleagues explain why they got out of a relationship. Probably they said something along the lines of the woman being too “needy,” or having “too much drama.” Some of these feelings may have to do with why guys are drawn to bromances in the first place. They want someone they can get out and do activities with, being friends side by side, but not necessarily face to face.
Remember that, even psychologically, men and women are wired very differently. If a woman comes home after a difficult day, she will talk about it for at least 10 minutes before prompting anyone for a response. This is only because she wants a little sympathy, and if you’re her friend or someone closer, you’ll be there for her, whether you’re male or female. Unfortunately, this kind of behavior also tends to drive lots of men crazy. Men hate to hear about problems that they’re unable to solve, and they don’t feel much better about listening to a 10-minute speech that (they think) could have conveyed the same message in only 2 minutes.
Does this mean that you should never open up to your bro? No. But you do need to be prepared for the fact that if you try, your bro might brush it aside or simply tell you he doesn’t want to talk about that. He’s not being cold; he’s just being a fairly typical guy. And if you do have a bro who’s willing to give you sympathy when you lose your job or your girlfriend dumps you, consider yourself lucky. Otherwise, you’ll have to go to your wife, your sisters, your mom, or a platonic female friend for the emotional support you need.
