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Jewish World Review August 5, 2010 / 25 Menachem-Av, 5770 What men really want By Betsy Hart
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | It's not every day a woman gets to observe a bunch of guys learning how to develop significant relationships with women. But that's exactly what I was allowed to watch a few weeks ago. The men gathered in a "boot camp" led by Dr. Paul Dobransky, 42. "Dr. Paul" is a practicing psychiatrist in Chicago who has a special interest in relationships and what makes men and women tick. These guys were learning how to approach a woman and understand her signals, what's important to her, how to court her and how to choose the right woman for a long-term commitment. The boot camp, which Paul and his staff conduct about once month, comes with a price tag: $1,800 apiece. Seriously. So, these must have been socially inept nerds, right? No. Here's what so surprised me as I met the men in a Chicago restaurant, and listened to them talk: the four gathered for this session were all nice-looking, intelligent, sociable, professional fellows. They ranged in age from late 20s to early 40s. To paraphrase a lament from the "Sex and the City" girls, "everyone knows a million great single gals -- but no one knows a million great single guys." So with the deck so stacked in their favor, why in the world is any guy shelling out big bucks for this class? Well, here's what the "students" told me: They don't think the deck is stacked in their favor at all. Yes, they agreed, there are lots of single women out there; and yes, they are typically sexually available. But, what these guys so want, and what they assured me their (honest) friends also admit to wanting, is to find a woman who really believes in her man. Who respects him, looks up to him, cares about his work and knows how much of his identity he's built to derive from it. A woman who thinks he can do anything. That, they agreed, is so crucial. And so rare. That was my biggest takeaway, and something Paul says he hears all the time. Yes, his is a self-selecting group, but it makes sense to me. Relationships today are so geared to a woman's needs -- is he sensitive, does he understand her, does he take care of the kids and listen to her feelings. Of course, women should be treated well. But in our dialogue on relationships today, there seems to be very little interest in a man's needs. I've seen lots of advice in the popular culture, for example, about dealing with the "callous" husband who doesn't do enough housework or child care even when he works full time and she is home full or part time. But I can't recall the reverse -- an instance when such a wife was advised to learn about her husband's work and how important it is to him, and to regularly let him know how much she admires him for laboring so hard to support their family. I've often whined about this trend, which manifests itself in so many ways. It's what I call the feminization of the culture. Paul says it also has to do with the way men are built. He notes that, unlike women, it's typically difficult for men to ask for a need to be met, including "I need you to respect and honor me." So, Paul said it's not surprising that when a man in our culture finds a woman he is attracted to and who admires him as a man, he typically feels he's found a gem. A rare one. Anyway, after a few hours, I left the guys to continue with their "studies." I newly appreciated that the numbers don't tell the whole story, that men don't have it so easy after all and that no matter how we distill it down, relationships between men and women will always be wonderfully challenging and mysterious. And, by the way, Paul also teaches classes for women, including skills for discovering that right guy. I think maybe I'll see if I can drop in on that one next time. For more information, visit www.doctorpaul.net. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. JWR contributor Betsy Hart, a frequent commentator on CNN and the Fox News Channel, can be reached by clicking here.
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