Nobody likes to be put in a box. And nowadays, we understand that most gender norms are outdated. However, there are still some behaviors that tend to be more common amongst either men or women.
Redditors have been discussing things that most men consider perfectly normal, while many women might find them strange, so we’ve gathered some of their most accurate replies below. From never asking any questions about their friends’ personal lives to being extremely honest with everyone they meet, we hope you enjoy scrolling through these typical male traits. And be sure to upvote the habits that you can’t imagine many women picking up!
#1
Showing up at a party where another guy is wearing the same shirt not only does NOT inspire fury & resentment but may be the start of a new friendship.
45points
#2
Friendships based on activities instead of personal connection.
82brighteyes:
This is so me. I have a drinking friend, a gaming friend, a sports friend and a music friend. None shall ever meet!
Anon:
Yes, finally a perfect explanation of male friendships.
82brighteyes:
This is so me. I have a drinking friend, a gaming friend, a sports friend and a music friend. None shall ever meet!
Anon:
Yes, finally a perfect explanation of male friendships.
Report
31points
#3
Peeing while standing up.
FlowRiderBob:
When I was in kindergarten I got into an argument with a girl on the playground about who was better, boys or girls. I told her that boys could pee standing up and girls couldn’t. She then proceeded to demonstrate that she could indeed pee standing up.
It’s the only memory I have of kindergarten.
FlowRiderBob:
When I was in kindergarten I got into an argument with a girl on the playground about who was better, boys or girls. I told her that boys could pee standing up and girls couldn’t. She then proceeded to demonstrate that she could indeed pee standing up.
It’s the only memory I have of kindergarten.
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29points
#4
Going days/weeks/months/years without getting a compliment/hug from anyone.
Secret_Bees:
I had a random girl come up to me at a gas station and say "excuse me, but you are just so handsome"
I'm so unused to getting compliments that I just laughed nervously and said "thanks" before getting in my car and driving away.
Secret_Bees:
I had a random girl come up to me at a gas station and say "excuse me, but you are just so handsome"
I'm so unused to getting compliments that I just laughed nervously and said "thanks" before getting in my car and driving away.
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29points
#5
When we meet friends that we haven't had a chance to hang out with in a while, we don't talk about the big stuff because hanging out with the boys is supposed to be a break from the big stuff.
Edit: dang, y'all, this must be more relatable than I thought.
Abaddon866:
This is so true. We just sit around and bulls**t and crack jokes. Then when we’re heading out it’s, “hey btw Megan has cancer”.
Edit: dang, y'all, this must be more relatable than I thought.
Abaddon866:
This is so true. We just sit around and bulls**t and crack jokes. Then when we’re heading out it’s, “hey btw Megan has cancer”.
28points
#6
Only sharing a problem if you are looking for an explicit solution.
It seems more general that men seldom talk about their issues just to vent, which does seem to be how some miscommunication happens.
GengarOX:
I know my wife doesn’t want solutions but I can’t listen to the same issues again and again while she doesn’t do anything to resolve them. She hates when I offer solutions yet loves when they work.
I_am_thewalrusnow:
Show this to your wife.
It seems more general that men seldom talk about their issues just to vent, which does seem to be how some miscommunication happens.
GengarOX:
I know my wife doesn’t want solutions but I can’t listen to the same issues again and again while she doesn’t do anything to resolve them. She hates when I offer solutions yet loves when they work.
I_am_thewalrusnow:
Show this to your wife.
26points
#7
Living a minimalist lifestyle. I see these memes about "guys think it's OK to live like this" showing bare walls and the barest of furnishings and realized that's MY place. Women like to decorate and fill the empty spaces with junk like live/laugh/love signs on every wall whereas I think a futon and a computer desk and 75 inch big screen TV is a fully furnished living room.
Anon:
That’s literally me. I bought an apartment 6 years ago and for the first 2 I just had a bed, a couch and a tv. Kitchen and bathrooms came furnished.
My mother, sisters, girlfriends were all like: How can you live like this? You live like a caged animal wth is wrong with you? I finally relented and hired a decorator to do all the stuff. It’s nicer now, I admit, but it’s not a huge deal. I was happy before too. I cared more about having 2 parking spaces in the underground garage than anything else lol.
Anon:
That’s literally me. I bought an apartment 6 years ago and for the first 2 I just had a bed, a couch and a tv. Kitchen and bathrooms came furnished.
My mother, sisters, girlfriends were all like: How can you live like this? You live like a caged animal wth is wrong with you? I finally relented and hired a decorator to do all the stuff. It’s nicer now, I admit, but it’s not a huge deal. I was happy before too. I cared more about having 2 parking spaces in the underground garage than anything else lol.
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23points
#8
Speaking from personal experience as a man (36 years and counting) who struggles with emotional intelligence I'm going to say: needing to have things spelled out explicitly, especially when it comes to how another person is feeling.
That instinct that women seem to have, yeah not so much for men.
squaredistrict2213:
This causes so many issues too, because women will typically assume the guy understands something when he has no idea and it just makes the situation worse
That instinct that women seem to have, yeah not so much for men.
squaredistrict2213:
This causes so many issues too, because women will typically assume the guy understands something when he has no idea and it just makes the situation worse
23points
#9
Leaving the house at the precise moment to arrive perfectly on time.
bradd_pit:
My wife is the perfect example of the opposite of this. When she says she's ready to leave that really means she's ready to start the process of leaving and she has 8 or 10 things to do before she walks out the door.
bradd_pit:
My wife is the perfect example of the opposite of this. When she says she's ready to leave that really means she's ready to start the process of leaving and she has 8 or 10 things to do before she walks out the door.
18points
#10
Having friends who you can spend an entire day helping work on a project and when you get home your wife will ask questions about what’s going on in the friends life and you have no idea but he’s still your friend and you both thought it was a good day.
Sorry for the run-on sentence.
UrAverageDegenerate:
A year or 2 after my high school friends and I graduated, after we'd all entered college, a bunch of us were invited to one of our friends house for a sleepover during break. Had the best night ever, played video games, talked s**t about each other, reminisced about high school, talked about our crushes. We all went our separate ways the next day, back to college and stuff. Then I realised, I had no f**king clue what the hell any of them were studying or where they even went. All I knew, was that I had a great f**king time at my friends house.
Male friendships are f**king WILD. I love it.
Sorry for the run-on sentence.
UrAverageDegenerate:
A year or 2 after my high school friends and I graduated, after we'd all entered college, a bunch of us were invited to one of our friends house for a sleepover during break. Had the best night ever, played video games, talked s**t about each other, reminisced about high school, talked about our crushes. We all went our separate ways the next day, back to college and stuff. Then I realised, I had no f**king clue what the hell any of them were studying or where they even went. All I knew, was that I had a great f**king time at my friends house.
Male friendships are f**king WILD. I love it.
16points
#11
Insulting your friends in front of them but praising them behind.
Rocky2135:
“I would never say this to his face, but he’s a wonderful person and a gifted artist.”
Rocky2135:
“I would never say this to his face, but he’s a wonderful person and a gifted artist.”
16points
#12
To me, I would say our ability to fight and then be good seconds later.
perkiezombie (Female):
This is something I really admire about men. Like you’ll have a punch up with someone and then be absolutely fine with them after. I’ve had disagreements with women that led to literally years of us hating each other and all the sniping and bullshit that comes with it.
perkiezombie (Female):
This is something I really admire about men. Like you’ll have a punch up with someone and then be absolutely fine with them after. I’ve had disagreements with women that led to literally years of us hating each other and all the sniping and bullshit that comes with it.
16points
#13
Sitting in silence.
What am I thinking about you ask?
Nothing.
Acethetic_AF:
I think it’s less thinking of nothing and more thinking of nothing important. Like, I’ll have random songs on loop usually. It’s not nothing but it’s also not my own thoughts. More of a radio.
tj3_23:
Yeah. It's not that it's actually nothing, but it's substantially easier to just say nothing than to try to explain that I just spent 20 minutes wondering why fan blades are tilted in the direction they are, and that I didn't actually come up with an answer.
What am I thinking about you ask?
Nothing.
Acethetic_AF:
I think it’s less thinking of nothing and more thinking of nothing important. Like, I’ll have random songs on loop usually. It’s not nothing but it’s also not my own thoughts. More of a radio.
tj3_23:
Yeah. It's not that it's actually nothing, but it's substantially easier to just say nothing than to try to explain that I just spent 20 minutes wondering why fan blades are tilted in the direction they are, and that I didn't actually come up with an answer.
15points
#14
Solving 99% of your problems without ever talking to a friend about it.
DroopyPenguin95:
Men can dissapear for a long time, and when we get back and our friends ask "What happened, are you good?" we just answer "Yeah, I had some troubles but I'm fine now" and just not talk about it.
DroopyPenguin95:
Men can dissapear for a long time, and when we get back and our friends ask "What happened, are you good?" we just answer "Yeah, I had some troubles but I'm fine now" and just not talk about it.
15points
#15
That we can get together with no specific plans, snacks or anything. And be content just chilling until an idea pops.
PentaxPaladin:
Nope, not me. If we don't have plans I don't wanna hang out.
Anon:
Sometimes hanging out IS the plan.
Hours later, someone might suggest a new, better one, like, "Hey, you guys wanna get Korean BBQ?"
PentaxPaladin:
Nope, not me. If we don't have plans I don't wanna hang out.
Anon:
Sometimes hanging out IS the plan.
Hours later, someone might suggest a new, better one, like, "Hey, you guys wanna get Korean BBQ?"
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14points
#16
When you're walking and there's a woman walking in front of you so you intentionally slow down or speed up so it doesn't seem like you're following her.
MarchBurnerAccount:
Double this when on a run. I'm out on a trail with no one around, and I'm a pretty slow runner. Like 13-15 minute miles slow.
I absolutely hate being aware that the female runner ahead of me is checking over the shoulder to assess her safety because I'm there. So i will basically run fast for long enough to get well ahead of her and then fight the urge to walk because I just burned myself out with the running.
It's better than being uncomfortable for the reasons she is, but it still sucks.
MarchBurnerAccount:
Double this when on a run. I'm out on a trail with no one around, and I'm a pretty slow runner. Like 13-15 minute miles slow.
I absolutely hate being aware that the female runner ahead of me is checking over the shoulder to assess her safety because I'm there. So i will basically run fast for long enough to get well ahead of her and then fight the urge to walk because I just burned myself out with the running.
It's better than being uncomfortable for the reasons she is, but it still sucks.
14points
#17
Being denied joint custody.
Anon:
Part of why at least some men don’t fight is because we are warned by our ex that we will be accused of something.
My ex wife flat out stated that she would accuse me of ab*sing her if I fought. I did anyways and then she made it known through her lawyer they would accuse me of child abuse if I kept at it.
So now my son is with his mother who is sick and neglectful and when she has energy hits him.
It is k**ling me. But if I do anything her family’s money enters the picture. And I don’t have hundreds of millions of dollars to litigate with. I have nothing. Nothing.
Anon:
Part of why at least some men don’t fight is because we are warned by our ex that we will be accused of something.
My ex wife flat out stated that she would accuse me of ab*sing her if I fought. I did anyways and then she made it known through her lawyer they would accuse me of child abuse if I kept at it.
So now my son is with his mother who is sick and neglectful and when she has energy hits him.
It is k**ling me. But if I do anything her family’s money enters the picture. And I don’t have hundreds of millions of dollars to litigate with. I have nothing. Nothing.
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14points
#18
Taking their shirts off in public.
_aesirian_ (Female):
In the heatwave we had last summer, I would have loved to walk around in my bra except a) someone would call the police with concern for my welfare and b) I would burn my normally unexposed skin to a crisp.
Also anyone getting any odd ideas, this is purely a practical solution, my bras are solid, structural affairs, no lace or frills to be found.
_aesirian_ (Female):
In the heatwave we had last summer, I would have loved to walk around in my bra except a) someone would call the police with concern for my welfare and b) I would burn my normally unexposed skin to a crisp.
Also anyone getting any odd ideas, this is purely a practical solution, my bras are solid, structural affairs, no lace or frills to be found.
13points
#19
Doing nothing and just shooting the s**t with a couple drinks, and then coming out of it without knowing anything new about each others personal lives.
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13points
#20
Someone crossing the road to avoid you at night.
grayotic:
One night I was on my way home home and a woman turned a corner and started walking in my direction. A guy on the other side of the street saw that and did a little run to position himself between me and the woman as we were passing each other.
Ever since then I felt a bit weird about walking alone at night because people might perceive me as threatening.
grayotic:
One night I was on my way home home and a woman turned a corner and started walking in my direction. A guy on the other side of the street saw that and did a little run to position himself between me and the woman as we were passing each other.
Ever since then I felt a bit weird about walking alone at night because people might perceive me as threatening.
Report
12points