Guys whose wives back them up.

Absolutely, Sir...and you're exactly right. Can't be all in unconditionally.

there's a lot of the same being said with different language...but gotta respect yourself first, then you can work on earning it from others.

 

I tell everyone my wife is my soulmate, teammate, companion, helper, best friend, etc because I choose to spend more time with her than anyone else. I wonder how many couples truly want to spend time with their spouse?? Have you ever driven to Daytona holding hands and not say anything to your spouse or them to you? I have.... We just enjoy each other's company. She is also 1 of very few people that can make me laugh.... and talk to me when I get mad....

 

Not sure where you're seeing a conflict here -nobody said anything about worship. Like I said, I tell her stuff she doesn't want to hear all the time. My wife loves the fact that I'm my own man- read my original post on the topic. I speak my mind to her, to her parents, to my family, and everybody else around me. But being a true man isn't about being a self-absorbed asshole and expecting your wife to support you when you do nothing to earn it. The problem is everybody in today's generations expects to be treated with respect, without doing anything to earn it. I'll restate my point- if your wife doesn't support you, then man up and do something to earn her respect, and things will start to change.

 

fair enough. I did miss the real not perceived qualifier while reading through the first time. it's something I get excited about as it's so important to the coming generations and we've just spent 40 years making a hash of it.

 

I'll agree with this part wholeheartedly. You earn respect from others BY respecting yourself. Hell, you gotta love yourself before you can love others too- media can make it difficult for women to love themselves, and if they don't even know how to love themselves, then they can never truly love somebody else- it's just infatuation at that point. I love myself and respect myself like a champ, and my wife loves that about me. And I encourage her to love and respect herself too, but even when she falls short- I show her love and support anyway, rather than the condemnation that a lot of self-absorbed prigs show their wives.

 

In the words of the southern baptist minister, preach on brotha

 

That's me / us. My wife is my best friend, 27 years and counting.

 

Maybe it's because of my abusive past - but I can't swallow any of the "give her what she needs, not what she wants" Comments. Could be that I am reading to far into it.

I struggle with these threads because it is a peek into the male gender, but it is also a slice that is hyper-competitive and testosterone fueled. It may not be representative at all. I start to think that men just constantly compete and that they all think they need to be dominating their women. I just picture you guys dragging your women around by the hair and clubbing dinner to death some days.

and maybe I am already in it as you are describing and can't see the forest for the trees.

 

Well she did wash my junk more than once after I broke my collarbone. Didn't do a 1/2 bad job either.

We're not splitting up about this.

 

If you drag 'em by the foot, they fill up with dirt.

Love is blind. Often, deaf and dumb too.

 

Seriously.. Guys aren't that hard to figure out. From what I have seen, you meet Dern's 3 basic needs and that's all any guy really needs. Anything else and girls are just spinning their wheels Okay okay.. it's nice when you help out in the pits too.

 

See folks. It's all about self awareness..

 

I can only assume you aren't talking to me. I hate losing, at anything, to anyone.... But that has nothing to do with the respect I give my wife and the respect she gives me. And if I grabbed my wife's hair and pulled, it would land me in the hospital.... at some point....

 

If you're not a little bit afraid of your woman then you're with the wrong woman.

 

When I pull Colleen's hair, we end up nekkid.

Different strokes and all I suppose.