Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men

Male-Female Differences

put a problem in a mental ―to do‖ folder and go on to other things. They reopen the folder only when they feel ready to deal with it. In contrast, women are generally like computers. Their minds keep going and going, working things through, until a problem is solved. These approaches to problem-solving are the reason men and women will often react differently to life‘s difficulties or conflicts in interpersonal relationships. Men tend to be re sentful about such things, and it‘s harder for them to see past their anger. They might just ―file away‖ the problems, as we saw earlier. On the other hand, women are guilt-prone; therefore, they often feel responsible for these situations, whether they have caused them or not. Even if they are an gry, they will look within to see what they could have done differently or how they can resolve the situation. Men and women can eliminate much frustration in their relationships by understanding each other‘s problem -solving strengths and using them to benefit one another. For in stance, a woman can assist a man in resolving a problem with a coworker by talking through the difficulty with him and helping him to recognize the motivations and feelings involved. A man can help a woman come to a decision more quickly by acknowledging her feelings about a situation but also clearly outlining for her the facts and options involved. Taking into consideration both intuitive and factual informa tion will help men and women to make better decisions. When it comes to material things, such as a job task, a building project, or financial planning, men want to know the details of how to get there. They like to know what steps they must take to achieve a task. In contrast, women tend to look at overall goals. They think about what they want to accomplish rather than focusing on a step-by-step outline of what needs to be done. While a man will sit down and write out a list of points, a woman might just start doing something to make sure it gets done. However, when it comes to spiritual or intangible things, the opposite is generally true: males look at overall goals, 5. Differences in Realizing Goals

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