Every relationship goes through some bad times. Like the time you caught him flirting when he thought you weren't watching, or the time the ex called and left a sultry message on the machine, or the time when the two of you fought like angry reptiles when one of you decided it was okay to spend the bonus money on the latest turbo tool. Certainly, though, the most awkward and uncomfortable time in a relationship comes at the very end of it - the time when the two of you (or at least one of you) decides it's time to divide the iTunes account and move on.
No break-up is easy, and many guys resort to some old standards when it comes to conversational gambits in the final moments. This will help you decode what his cutting lines truly mean.
"It's not you; it's me."
Translation: "It's not me; it's you."
One-third of men admit that they're lying when they blame themselves for the demise of the relationship. Of course, they're trying to soften the blow a bit - to ensure that you know you're a great person, a caring person, a person who's perfectly right... for someone else. After all, if you were the right one (for him), it wouldn't matter whether his mind was somewhere in Iceland; he'd find a way to make it work.
"I'm not ready for a relationship right now."
Translation: "Whoa baby, slow down!"
Most guys - though they can come off as more desperate than a brewhound in a dry county - take their time testing the relationship waters. If a woman comes on too fast - with talk of futures, or of how she's never felt this way before - then the man often will be likely to retreat. Fast. It's not that he's not ready for a relationship; it's just that he's not ready to decide whether "Mony Mony" should be in the second or third set of the reception playlist.
"Can I call you sometime?"
Translation: "If you're ever lonely at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night...."
Well, he may or may not be that crass, but he is trying to keep the door cracked. If he's the one who's doing the ditching, then he's (unfairly, mind you) trying to lead you to believe that a break will strengthen the possibilities of some kind of rekindled romance in the future. If he's the victim, then he's trying to hang onto any slim chance he may have in the future with you (or possibly one of your friends). Either way, check out this story and beware the drunk-dialing ex; professors have actually studied this and concluded it's not without its pitfalls.
"I still care about you."
Translation: "Please don't tell your friends I'm a jerk."
Truth is, he probably does care about you. Still cares that you do well, that you find someone, that you get what you want in life. But what he's also saying is, please don't tell all your friends to cross me off their lists. The relationship may be broken, but it's a pretty big concern that his reputation remains intact.
If a guy's behavior seems perplexing, sneak a glimpse into his mind with this eye-opening article about men, women and their breakups, "Get Over Her," by Greg Behrendt, the "Sex and the City" writer who also wrote the book He's Just Not That Into You. Do you have other break-up stories, secrets and solutions? Please share them with the rest of us here.
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Typically, guys like fights when they're at a hockey game, or watching reality TV. But guys don't particularly like fights when they happen in relationships.
We shy away from confrontation for several reasons: first, men win arguments with women about as often as Dennis Kucinich wins presidential primaries.
Second, we don't have that much we want to argue about. When Rodney King asked, "Can't we all just get along?" there were millions of guys nodding their heads, asking the same thing. For the vast majority of guys, fighting is failure, and quite possibly a violation of local noise ordinances.
We may have a few little things to quibble about (Where in the world did you put my Strokes concert T-shirt?), but for the most part, we'll do anything to avoid conflict, especially these types of conflict:
The "Blackberry" Fight
You look at it too much. Does that thing always have to be on? You work way too much! You're right, you're right, and you're right. When a man's work is pitted against his relationship for time and attention, he can feel utterly conflicted.
Many men feel an intense pressure to succeed, to be the one who's counted on, to be hardwired into whatever's happening, even if it's not much. And when you tell him that he should feel that way about you rather than the job, he retreats.
That's because he'd rather make a choice between right and wrong than the choice you're asking him to make: The choice between two things that are both important, but vastly different.
The "Ex" Fight
You want to know what she's like, what she does, why your man was into her, and why they broke up. Him? He wants to stay as tight-lipped as the CIA's man in Moscow.
Which only fuels the speculation - she must've been great, she must've broken up with him, she must've been the love of his life. The truth may be none of those things, but he wants to reveal as little as possible because there's no upside.
If he recalls any positives about her, he's afraid you'll compare, and think poorly of yourself. If he says nasty things about his ex, he loses two ways: you'll think badly of him for unchivalrous behavior, and wonder why he was with such a no-good girlfriend in the first place.
The "Finale" Fight
When a break-up is inevitable, a guy doesn't want to go out with shouts, insults, crying, and random appliance tossing. Even though this relationship may have not worked out entirely the way either of you had pictured, he doesn't want it to end badly.
Why? Because there's a big part of him that cares very much about his rep; he doesn't want to be perceived as a bad guy, or a mean one, or some jerk who deserves to be hit by the cross-town bus next time he crosses the street.
Even if he wants an ending, he doesn't want it to be a bad one - which is why many breakup-minded men try to make a soft landing back in the singles world: Slowly, gently, and perhaps unfairly as well.
The "Wedding" Fights
Not the wedding fight, as in whether or not to have one. But fights, as in plural, the kind that happen between the first ring he puts on your finger, and the second. He knows you want him involved in all the decisions big (who to invite) and small (what style napkins). He knows that "It's up to you" is usually one of the "Five Things You Should Never Say to a Woman," as this article artfully instructs (hint: make sure he reads and heeds it!).
But in this case, his acquiescence isn't because he's uninterested; it's because he respects that this is your (and possibly your mother's) big day, so enjoy it, do what you want, and don't get mad because he won't tell you if he prefers the butter cream icing or the marzipan.
As for other kinds of fights, here's a great list of common face-offs and how men will try to defuse them. See if you recognize any of his tactics.
Have other ideas? Please share ‘em here.
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