Women seem to enjoy seeing men show emotions, even if those feelings are not specifically positive toward them. One time, I was telling a woman I was seeing that I thought she was such a great person, but that we had such different views on life that I worried that this probably wouldn’t work. My concern and nervousness were palpable as I said it, as it was more or less intended as the precursor to a break-up talk.
I expected her to be pissed, to storm out of my apartment, to accuse me of having wasted her time. But instead, she looked at me longingly, hugged me, and said, “I don’t know why, but your saying that makes me feel so much closer to you.”
I know why. See the opening line of this essay.
