The origin of the differences of thoughts and feelings between men and women is cultural, since by tradition the masculine gender is opposite to the feminine one, and it is a condition that is learned from the childhood. As children, boys are taught to control their emotions, and girls are taught to express their feelings openly.
According to the psychotherapist Marisa Navarro, men and women have very different emotional universes, although they complement each other. From the physical point of view, a woman’s brain works differently, is more intuitive and has a great capacity to perform simultaneous tasks, because it has more connections between the cerebral hemispheres; whereas the brain of a man usually finds it easier to make decisions due to the nervous connections between the motor zone of the brain.
On the other hand, the most developed areas in the brain of men are those related to the sexual part and aggressiveness, while women develop areas dedicated to empathy. Women tend to be more expressive, intense and with a great memory to remember both positive and negative emotions.
On the other hand, men find it difficult to understand emotions because they are oriented to action and not to reflection as women. That is why women often have more social skills.
Culturally, men do not express their emotions, understand them or act in the same way as women, and often acting in a different way would be synonymous with weakness.
Women are allowed to express their sadness, while men are allowed to express their anger. This difference is evident in the mental illnesses that people suffer according to their gender. Thus, women are predisposed to suffer anxiety or depression, and men tend to have antisocial behaviors and various addiction problems.
In terms of stress, men and women handle it very differently. Men usually manifest it with states of impulsivity, anger and evasion, while women in a stressful situation usually analyze situations and emotions, which they whether share with their peers or choose to be alone.
According to clinical studies, sex hormones interfere in the emotional state, in thoughts and behaviors, affecting the mood and leading to thoughts that reinforce the hormonal effect.
As Dr. John Gray, a psychologist, stated in his book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, “when men and women are able to respect and accept their differences, then love has a chance to blossom.”
On the other hand, Dr. Gray affirms that men need trust, acceptance, appreciation, admiration, approval and encouragement. Women need to receive care, understanding, respect, devotion, reaffirmation and tranquility, therefore the needs of each gender are different and when differences are accepted and respected, the relationship can be consolidated over time.
ALFA