Recently, Reddit user workdncsheets asked, “What are some things that are normal to men but mind blowing to women?” and as a woman, it was super interesting to see the replies. Here’s some things that apparently are super normal to men, but very strange to women (well, according to these men).
1
"A physical fight is not the end of all future interactions, it is an establishment of hierarchy, a message of 'we both won't just back down in the face of conflict,' and depending on the outcome, proof that both can hold their ground and violence is actually no useful way to resolve conflict in the future. Which all in all can lead to greater friendship."
ImageSource / CI-Start via Getty Images
2
"My ex-wife was so flabbergasted one time when she met two friends of mine, one of which I only knew his first name — the other, only his nickname. She thought I was lying because I knew them for over a decade. Their actual names never came up and weren’t necessary."
NBC
3
Relatedly..."I don't remember the birthday of my best friend of 12 years. i just know it's in January."
FG Trade via Getty Images
Advertisement
4
"Two guy friends could spend the afternoon together, have a grand time, come home, and have their respective wives be absolutely bewildered that they didn’t learn anything about what’s going on in the other guy's life."
Westend61 via Getty Images
5
So what do they talk about? "My friends who I haven't seen in YEARS went camping with me recently for four days. I got back and my wife asked me what's been going on in their lives. I pondered and said that I don't really know beyond some got married at some point, one had a kid but I don't know when, and that we mainly talked random stuff. One night we had ended up making a tier list of dipping sauces over three hours."
almir abdulah via Getty Images
6
"I'm 39. I started down an entirely new career path in mid-January. I've had horrible imposter syndrome since day 1 but the new job feels good. My boss (who happens to be a woman) sent me the nicest, most complimentary email thanking me for being such a good addition to the team, and I sincerely cried because in all my years in the workforce, nobody has ever appreciated me so much. I imagine to her it was just one of those things a good boss does — 'hey, my employee did a good job, I should tell them!' I sent it to my dad when he asked me how the new job was going. Even HE cried out of pride. Men don't get compliments, and when we do, we really feel it."
ABC
Advertisement
7
"Struggling to do something in public and no one coming over to assist you."
andreswd via Getty Images
8
Relatedly, "The expectation to help in certain situations, especially as a big guy. I went to retirement party for a person I never met before (I was invited by a friend). Literally minutes after I showed up, some random lady came up to me and told me to come with her because she needed something carried somewhere. After I helped the woman above, I remember my (female) friend was kinda surprised that this woman just demanded I help her, without knowing who I was at all. I don't mind helping. On some level it's nice (?) knowing that I look strong enough to help people do things they physically can't. But this happens ALL. THE. TIME. Which also surprised her."
aire images via Getty Images
9
"I went to a girl’s house recently and she and her roommates were shocked that I didn’t share my location with my friends."
Oscar Wong via Getty Images
Advertisement
10
"My wife continually asks me, 'did anyone say anything about your shirt/hair/shoes/etc?' No, no one says anything about my appearance."
ABC
11
"Being single means no physical contact for extended periods. ... I haven't been hugged in over four years. The last time I touched someone else was a handshake five months ago."
Marco VDM via Getty Images
12
"The concept of being alone seems different for women than men. I was telling this girl about how I went through a period where I didn't talk to anyone but coworkers for about a year and she couldn't fully grasp the concept. Like to her, being alone was when you only get a few Facebook messages and your friends are all too busy to hang out for a few weeks."
krisanapong detraphiphat via Getty Images
Advertisement
13
"Going a long period of time without sex or a relationship. For some reason, women think it's easy for men to find someone. They think there is someone out there that would do it or we can just pull women at will."
AzmanJaka via Getty Images
14
"The complete fucking mystery that is flirting. The anxiety of approaching someone you're interested in and making the first move. Straight women act like it's nothing, but I have known bi women who get as anxious as any man who approaches a woman."
DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures
15
"Not having the freedom to cry is so worked into the concept of manhood that most men can't even when they want to."
Giza-01 / 500px via Getty Images
Advertisement
16
"Saying that you are ... sad and being completely ignored. Getting zero likes on social media for a post."
ridvan_celik via Getty Images
17
"That we don’t socialize/talk/bond with other guys in the bathroom. No talking in the bathroom. You go in, take care of business, wash your hands, and get out. No standing next to another dude at the urinal unless you have no choice. Women’s behavior in the bathroom is considerably different than men’s behavior, or so I’ve been told."
Jasmin Merdan via Getty Images
18
"Apparently just thinking of 'nothing.' Total zoning out."
Icon Film Distribution/DreamWorks Pictures
Advertisement
19
"My female friends don’t roast each other like I do with my friends. It’s all in good fun, but I can’t joke with them like I do with my male friends."
AzmanL via Getty Images
20
"In general (for the men I know), discussing a partner's body or intimate relationship details would be crossing a line and is at best weird, and at worst a betrayal."
ncognet0 via Getty Images
21
"Mainly mind-blowing to my wife — when something in the house breaks, needs repairing, repainting, generally attended to, I don't have an automatic man signal straight to my brain that tells me what to do. I have to go away, watch YouTube videos, read methods, wander around B&Q for a solution...it takes failed attempts and roaming around the offending situation cursing to myself with no one around until I either fix it or call a professional to fix it because I'm out of my depth. My wife is under the impression her role is to identify something is wrong and just hand it to me because I will 'know what to do.'"
MarioGuti via Getty Images
Advertisement
22
"At least for the women in my life, doing something stupid for the sake of being stupid. I know it’s stupid. It doesn’t make me a stupid person (depending on what it is). I’m taking a calculated risk for fun."
NBC
23
"Men just naturally have a level of strength that surprises women. Testosterone is a hell of a drug. For example: my wife has been going to the gym for a while now. She's noticeably stronger now and it's awesome for her. I actually commented and complimented it the other night. But as a dumpy 45-year-old man whose exercise is walking and carrying groceries, I'm still stronger than her just because I'm a guy."
skynesher via Getty Images
24
"Erection =\= Aroused. It boggles their mind that just cause a guy gets hard doesn’t mean he is ready to go. Sometimes it just…happens."
DigiPub via Getty Images
Advertisement
25
"The first time my wife showered with me she stops and says, 'It’s moving! Are you doing that? Why is it moving?' That was when I realized, if you don’t have a penis, you don’t know that they can move around as your testicles move, nor do you know that testicles move around all the time on their own. Particularly in an environment where the temperature is getting either hot or cold, like a shower. Balls move and balls itch. It’s what they do. And dicks have a mind of their own. Don’t ask me why it’s hard, I’ve been asking it that since I hit puberty."
Jena Ardell via Getty Images
26
"My wife didn’t realize she’d been seeing this for years in various guys until she asked me what it was. I call it the 'Howdy Pardner' — when you realize one or both of the twins is stuck to your leg so you kinda haunch out like a cowboy walking with his spurs on for just a split second and everything unsticks."
Lifetime
27
"When we were dating, I don’t think my wife had seen a 'grower' before (or maybe even hadn’t heard of the concept). She seemed quite surprised the first time she saw me go from flaccid to hard."
Maryna Terletska via Getty Images
Advertisement
28
"Urinals. I have, on more than one occasion, had to explain that no if we have to go number 1 and number 2, we don't first use the urinal and then the stall. We just go to the stall and do them both at the same time."
Fernando Trabanco Fotografía via Getty Images
29
"We clean off shit stuck to the inside of the toilet bowl when we piss. It ain’t much but it’s honest work."
Peter Dazeley via Getty Images
30
And finally, of course..."Getting kicked in the balls."
Friend of Mars via Getty Images
Advertisement