Wife starts to tell me about some interpersonal problem she's having with another woman at work. So I respond, "Are you telling me this because you want me to recommend actions available to ameliorate the situation, or am I just supposed to listen and nod my head sympathetically. I do either one, I'm just not sure which one you're looking for."
Most of the time they don`t want your opinion,they just want someone to unload on after their day,so they talk and talk.
The confusion occurrs when they become serious.Their delivery is similar or the same and so we fail to catch on right away ang get flack for not "hearing" them.
Damn fellas,I gotta be "on" all the time lest I get caught out.
And ladies,it`s exhausting being " on " all the time in a state of alert.
We just wanna lie on the sofa and watch fast cars going round and round in a circle.
According to Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, a man's inclination is to offer suggestions on how to correct the problem. The woman is looking for emotional expression and validation. So asking open ended questions to encourage her to talk about it and paraphrasing what she has said to let her know that you are listening and caring (all active listening techniques) would probably be the most appropriate response. Telling her what she should do could be received as a criticism.
Maybe that's why you're...er.."lonesome"?
...just a thought...
;-)
What a wise hubby.
However, I suspect that a lot of times, most women would not have a clue about what they really wanted. They would have to be trained to tune in and report that out rather than just engage in verbal diarrhea.