Two weeks ago, we asked local women to share some insights about the female of the species. This week, the men speak out.
Perhaps the battle of the sexes will never be won. Perhaps there really is no battle at all. But it never hurts to have inside information.
"(Men don't like going to doctors) out of fear of finding something is worse than it seems. It may be laziness a bit, or time. Maybe money. Probably a lot of reasons. It's a little different for every person."
-- Gary Heitmuller, 42
"We like our free time for things like hobbies. For me, it's restoring cars. I've got an old bus I'm restoring."
-- Robert Esch, 31
"I don't understand why there's an inability to understand that a man will change when a man wants to change. It can't be forced."
-- Isaac Duncan III, 36
"One of the most infamous questions is 'How do I look in this?' If a guy doesn't like it, he should have the freedom to say, 'Honey, I don't like the way that looks on you,' but if he does that, there's another price to pay. If a woman asks for truth and honesty, that's exactly what she should expect to get."
-- Ken Jones, 37
"Men are very simple. That's the thing (women) don't understand. Guys do not have ESP. They cannot figure out what women want unless they tell them. Guys just want to be fed and loved."
-- Trey Hein, 43
"As you progress in relationships, men and women react differently. You adapt to what you've learned. Past girlfriends (of mine) have not liked things that takes focus away from them. We need to find the balance between doing something purely for ourselves and incorporating a fair share of time for a partner."
-- Ashby Graham, 27
"Saturday is for college football."
-- Paul Shahen, 26
"Women are much smarter than men. They have to be. They control the relationship. They control the sex. They have the trump card. I think men think they can outsmart women, but they really can't. Women need to realize that."
-- Peter Furrichia, 42
"I work with mostly women, and the one thing I have noticed is that women like to talk through issues and concerns. Men usually seem to spend more alone time reflecting when a challenge arises and then present a proposed solution for feedback. When we are silent or quiet, we are not ignoring women; we are often just trying to figure something out on our own."
-- James McKissic, 38
We used 10 women, so these two extra quotes from men are optional.
I think there are a great number of differences that we don't have evidence to indicate for. I think we should find what's common. We yearn. We have desires. When people start treating each other as "men" and "women" instead of as individuals, you're becoming seduced by a metaphor that isn't real.
-- Perrin Lance, 24
We care as much about things (as they do). There's emotion involved in the background, but that doesn't mean it's not there. Sometimes women have a notion that there's no emotion involved in what men think about on a daily basis, and I think that's a misconception.
-- Rondell Crier, 35