photo by Audrey Alberthal
Dear Duana, My wife is an outstanding breadwinner, so by mutual consent I’ve been the stay-home parent to our four children. But a decade + of diaper-and-daycare duty has undermined my self-esteem. Although Victoria appreciates the career sacrifices I’ve made to raise the kids, I can see the disappointment in her eyes as she explains to her well-heeled associates what it is I don’t do for a living….
Dear Duana, I’m back with my former boyfriend, but an issue from our break-up remains: He works for his mom and does not seemed inspired to do more. Will this always bother me? Dear Janie, ITE (In This Economy), there are plenty of folks who are un- or under-employed through no fault of their own, despite strident efforts. But there’s no sugar-coating this: Male lack of ambition is a huge, universal and global female turn-off. Why that is so, and whether it has to ruin your relationship with Dave, are separate issues…
Share Article Print Article Permalink tagged Breakups, Commitment, Dating, Evolutionary Psychology, First Love / Young Love, Male Female Differences Wise Readers, Refusing or seeking a mate because of smell: It’s normal for women. But readers were left with questions: Do people with specific genetic profiles choose specific kinds of colognes? Why do men fall in love using their eyes—women, their noses? What if someone rich, powerful and good-looking stinks—can women overlook (oversmell?) that? And what role do factors like anti-depressants, age, diet and sexual orientation play in smell and sexual attraction? Read on! Cheers, Duana
Wise Readers, If opposites attract, why is similarity so much easier? And what can be done to convince your head *and* heart that his/her personality isn’t…personal? How accurate are we at discerning our own personality? Would others know our type? What about introverts with extroverts, or worriers with calm people—how does that work? And…what if your Opposite is just plain mean and disrespectful to you? Read on! Cheers, Duana
Share Article Print Article Permalink tagged Communication, Conflict Resolution, Male Female Differences, Marriage, Personality, Relationship Building Dear Duana,I love my husband, but I’m demonstrative and affectionate and affirming, and Sean…isn’t. Is there any research about opposites attracting, or whether complementary personalities can cause more problems than they solve? Dear Nina, Sounds like you’ve got a classic Gap going on—where one person prefers soul-searching intimacy, and the other prefers that when he said he loves you (at your wedding), that should stand for the Remainder Of Time. Common in male-female relationships, I suspect the Gap is often based in a specific personality pairing you and Sean may have…
Share Article Print Article Permalink tagged Communication, Conflict Resolution, Male Female Differences, Marriage, Personality, Relationship Building