
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Do men get attached more easily than women? And if so, does that represent a sea change in gender behaviors?
The researchers behind a new survey from Match.com seem to think that might be the case. Men apparently fall in love more quickly than women: 54 percent of guys say they've felt love at first sight, for instance, compared to 44 percent of women. Guys are also less interested in having time to themselves, away from their significant other: 77 percent of women say having personal space is "very important," compared to just 58 percent of men, and only 23 percent of guys think it's crucial to have regular nights out with their pals, as opposed to 35 percent of the ladies.
In a USA Today story about all this, biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, who helped develop the survey, said, "Men are now expressing some traditionally female attitudes, while women are adopting some of those long attributed to men." Social historian Stephanie Coontz, who collaborated with Fisher on the project, added, "It's just amazing confirmation about what has changed in the last 40 years."
If you ask me, maybe what guys will admit to has changed, but as far as I can tell, men have always seemed a little bit more sappy (in a good way!) than women. Sure, ladies might be more open to possibility than men, and they're more willing to give guys they're not certain about a chance. Nevertheless, when guys fall, they fall hard — and once they're hooked (even if it happens slowly) they're almost always a bit more attached to the relationship than their female counterparts are.
Why's that? It might have to do with the kinds of intense personal relationships women tend to have outside of their romantic partnership. Women are more likely to be emotive and confessional with their friends. They like playing the role of arm-chair psychologists. And when a man gets into a relationship, he comes to depend almost exclusively on his girlfriend for emotional support and amateur therapy sessions — whereas women often continue to turn to their closest friends for help through any psychological difficulties or blue periods.
Think I'm on to something here? Or totally off the mark?
The study also had some other hope-inspiring things to report:
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
-
Angelina Jolie Says She "Had a Lot of Healing to Do" Before Founding Atelier Jolie
More than just a label, the actress is building a “therapeutic” creative collective.
By Gabriella Onessimo
-
Kylie Jenner Is the Latest Celeb to Debut French Girl Bangs
The reality star debuted her new look at the Acne Studios fashion show in Paris.
By Samantha Holender
-
Don’t Wait—These Trending Outfits Will Be All You Wear This Season
Content creator Danielle Carolan is letting you take a peek inside her fall wardrobe and sharing the five outfits she’s wearing from Walmart.
By Natalie Gray Herder
-
The 22 Best Vibrators, According to Sex Toy Experts
The vibes are immaculate.
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
The Best Period Sex Tips, According to Sex Experts
Who says messy can't be sexy?
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
The 20 Best Sex Games for Couples in 2023
Who said game nights need to be wholesome?
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
The 14 Best Lubes for Every Need
Good sex should always go smoothly.
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
COVID Forced My Polyamorous Marriage to Become Monogamous
For Melanie LaForce, pandemic-induced social distancing guidelines meant she could no longer see men outside of her marriage. But monogamy didn't just change her relationship with her husband—it changed her relationship with herself.
By Melanie LaForce
-
100 Sex Songs That Won't Make You Cringe
Dim the lights and hit play on this sex songs — the perfect playlist of songs to have sex to.
By The Editors
-
72 Real Sex Scenes in Movies
These actors aren't faking anything.
By Mehera Bonner
-
33 Unexpected Valentine's Day 2023 Date Ideas
A.k.a. not dinner and roses.
By The Editors