Agnostic.com

30 6

Seems like as safe a place as any to ask this! Many men say they like a strong woman. But, in action, I have seen many slink away after initial attraction. I don't respect game playing, I.e., withholding interest or affection to keep a man hooked. But, honestly, is that what some/many men want? I hate to generalize, but the experience repeats! Is an attractive, confident woman who admits she likes you to easy? or scary?

Lydiaeli 6 Jan 29
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

30 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

1

At the risk of putting all men in the same category (yes, I know there are exceptions), men tend to be more intrigued by (want) what they can't have, or something they have to work for (chase). It is basic human nature. I'm not saying you should "play games." I'm just putting this out there as something to think about. Love is complicated. People are complicated. Some people make it look easy, but I have never found it to be easy. Not even a little bit.

Thanks for this comment. That's the internal battle I've been fighting inside for... 11 years? I've questioned almost everything I know to question about life and tradition since I left the rules of the church and have been finding my own place in the world. Of course I questioned gender roles, too - in many contexts. For romantic relationships, what I wished to be true has not matched up with the behavior I've seen from good men I care about. Even the enlightened feminists who like me for who I am seem to have a fight or flight mechanism that kicks in at times.

The life lesson that has served me best without being dogmatic is this: suffering comes from resisting life as it is. Radically accept life as it is, and only then do I have the calmness and wisdom to continue to forge my own path.

With great acknowledgement that this is a cis-normative, here goes! If primally the insemenators are wired to enjoy the chase, and the incubators are wired to seek comfort and security, then I can start by accepting that. And seek the enlightened ones who choose to not let those wirings run their choices like excuses.

1

If you add smart to the mix then any woman with that combination is statistically unlikely to have much of a love life. That, they've done the research on.

But as for confident, yes that also scares a lot of men. Funniest thing I can ever remember was once propositioning a male friend I knew quite while we were both out at a band or something, poor bloke turned white as a sheet and said no. Anyway next day walking down the street he comes up to me looking very sheepish asking if he could possibly take that response back as he couldn't figure out why he'd responded that way and could I please just put it down to surprise. Ended up being friends with benefits for quite a while.

Kimba Level 7 Jan 30, 2018
1

That depends on the individual's reaction, all people are similar, but different.
Everyone has certain qualities they find more attractive and ones they find unattractive. Heck, many people may only subconsciously identify their attraction to another.

Some men may want to feel dominant in the field(s) the woman has obviously become quite skilled in. While others might be looking for a counterpart whom they can assist with said fields, or just leave it to them.

Like many men still traditionally feel like the families provider, but I've seen many who would rather not work and have others provide for them.

So seriously, this comes down to the individual.

Being attractive and confident I doubt are your downfall, just what causes the type of men you find yourself attracted to, to fall down.

1

I think that at present we are living in really weird times regarding relationships and gender identities, I am too old for any of that game playing and think that given the access to technology we are in reality living in a Post Truth Society and that isnt easily handled unless you are a 'born again gamer'.
The Russians have been there longer than us and a listlessness is upon many of them - without some sense of truth you drown in a swampy soup of 'whatever!' I refuse to own a mobile phone they are more addictive than anything I have ever seen.
So this is my attempt to think about how people are so conflicted about their roles , and how to be in the world and how to be with each other.

1

An attractive, confident woman who says/admits she is attracted to me too easy? Or scary. Neither. Just impossible.

1

Perhaps there is something about the chase for them? Like hunting, maybe something almost primitive wired within? I don't know, but I've experienced this as well. Personally, I'd much rather be rebuffed than have my time wasted by someone who can't actually handle an assertive woman.

1

I hate to be pushy and am cautious of overstepping the line, only ever had 4 actual committed relationships and in each case they were initiated by the woman. Have never thought about it, but I guess that means I am more suited to stronger women and in cases where I have initiated the process they haven't lasted long. However, I have other instances where the women have initiated and it still hasn't gone far. Crazy world, 3 of those 4 women have contacted me with in the past 24 hours, worst is my ex dropped in this morning, 2nd time in 5 years, we don't talk and have been divorced for almost 25 years. Must be this trippy moon that is coming up.

May the trippy moon bring us all healthy, happy and wise lives!

2

I'm new here, but I've definitely had this experience many times, and have also had the experience of men becoming insecure and controlling (or at least attempting to be controlling) in the face of my confidence and independence. It's incredibly frustrating.

1

Wow - still new here, so really impressed by the quality and thoughtfulness of the responses and questions back.

Yes, I am asking out of my own experience. And, yes, the evidence is anecdotal. (Well, I mean, relationship coaches selling webinars may say there is a science to 'where women go wrong', but...) yes, I realize it's a binary way to frame the question, which is not usually my style. And yet, honestly, I'm tiring of opening up to love only to lose it and doing so many things alone. So, like everything else, I am willing to question my assumptions about romantic relationships.

"Strong" could mean several different things: assertive, aggressive, self-sufficient, independent, etc. It could also mask my own unattractive behavior: fear leading to a need for affirmation of attention, selfishness, testing love, etc.

I also know 'love lost' has been dodged bullets a few times.

I know myself better the more time I spend on this earth. As a friend says "this may be what it feels like to be alive."

1

To me there is a difference between 'strong' and 'assertive'. Assertive should be the ability to say and do what you want without being aggressive. I am very attracted to an assertive, open woman. That way I don't have to play guessing games plus it makes it easier for each of us to do our own thing. My late partner was very assertive in a loving way and I could never go back to anything else.

My uncle was a German who fought as a tank commander in Russia for 4 years (including the battle of Stalingrad). He was captured and spent 5 years in a Russian gulag. Needless to say he was tough. He met my aunt when they were in their 50's. He said he wanted a strong woman and had a lot of books with strong women as central figures. They fought like cats and dogs for 34 years. When she died he cried like a baby. I asked him why because she treated him like dirt. He said he knew but he missed her!!

1

Maybe it is where you are from...I don't know too many 'weak' women...playing games leads to a bad relationship foundation, I think...all the women I know are pretty damn strong...I realize as I am typing this all I can say is this: be glad they slink away, because who needs that type of person in your life, anyway.

0

I certainly don't like the game playing. I wonder if that's really what you're experiencing. Perhaps you're "strong" to the point of seeming dominating? I think lots of guys would be put-off by that.

0

I need honesty even if it's just for a fuck

2

Not me.... my wife is tough and had to be that way while working and taking care of a child. I prefer a lady that's seen hard times and worked through them. It's tough out there .women don't get a break. I don't have to be a women to know how tough it is for them. I'm lucky.

4

some of us fellers, right or wrong, better or worse, truth or not, like to believe that somehow we're in charge. not necessarily like the boss but like the go to, the fixer, the planner, the conductor, but some of us are just too used to sitting in the drivers seat. Steering wheel, throttle, and brakes are under our control. Control of the radio, it's kind of a grey area. personally I find that kind of silly. I wonder if it's not just that 200000 years of evolution hasn't caught up to the last 100 years of women's rights.

6

A strong woman who admits that she likes you is interesting.

5

I think it's best to keep it real and let the chips fall where they will. If one ends up alone, living in a dumpy apartment above a laundry mat, talking to two ungrateful cats, and spending too much time online; well so be it!

you can always get a dog

@btroje lol. Yah. I love dogs but too much work.

@Rudy1962 or trade in the cats for some loveydovey cats

@btroje ahhhh. I've grown attached to these entitled kitties

1

Idk. In my case I'm convinced I'm either way uglier than I think I am or possibly smell bad. All my guy friends are always telling me how great I am yet the dates do not line up @ my door.

3

I'd say neither easy nor scary. Acting intentionally is attractive to me.

3

You may realize that we are all on a sliding gender scale-even the most femme women are only about 80% female traits, according to some studies I've read.

As the sliding marker moves from femme female toward the center of the gender chart-halfway between femme girl and macho male, the fewer female instincts will activate.

In my case, I lack the female brain chip to manage men, the one my cis hetero female friends and relatives take for granted. In their cases, they are picky about which man they choose out of the eager line up of suitors and would never think of chasing after men. Men chase after them, as most cis males are wired (as the predator) to do and all women have to do is to pick out the best ones.

In my case, I have a sort of "whatever, bro" male vibe, the way men let their male friends borrow and trash their cars, spill beer everywhere, and borrow money again without paying it back. But the females I know who have active female instincts won't even date men unless they do everything right..any disrespect, and their stuff gets tossed into the yard and the locks changed.

In my case, I lack the female outrage when a guy messes up..in fact, I often don't even notice, and if I do, I can't work up any rage, and if I do yell at him, that's also a male move that doesn't work.

Men, and male-ish females, yell at each other when offended, but if a man messes up, typical women withdraw. Suddenly, they're "too busy" and have "other plans" and disappear from the startled guy's life. The men have no choice..do whatever she wants, or find someone else.

Lucky for men, the male-ish females chase men and put up with anything, making excuses for the bad behavior of their men, the way men routinely do with their girlfriends.

Knowing this doesn't help, though. My instincts to react as a male are strong, but if I follow the advice in the book, "The Rules" which shows women like me how to act like a typical cis female, which attracts men, it works...I was inundated with marriage proposals. However, unlike most females who date, I had no interest in marriage..just in having a pal for ballroom dancing, and hiking.

2

She is being just as "easy" as any man who is "easy...no big deal today. You did mean "too easy" didn't you?

8

I'm going to be single for the rest of my life. LOL

If you want to then that's a good thing...do you want to be single for the rest of your life?

Same, girl.

LOL!!!

@BobMcDowell I'm really okay with being single. I honestly don't foresee my circumstances changing to the point where I'd actually meet anyone.

yep, & me.

Yup, as will I

5

"Scary" works for me. I like smart, I like independent, and I like self-confident. But it's tricky. The short-coming is mine, and it's real.

4

To be honest if such a women said when liked me. I’d be flattered! 🙂

You must be flattered a lot then, cause you're cute.

3

Is this something that happens to you ? And if so, how can you be sure your strengths are what inspires the "slinking" ?

Just because someone admits liking someone else - does not mean things will be reciprocal ...

Not sure where to go with this ...

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:19424
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.