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People tend to make a lot of assumptions. With so much information to process every single day, it’s hard not to. But generalizations can lead to misinformation and a warped sense of reality. All of us need a wake-up call to keep us grounded, from time to time.

Recently, the members of the massively popular r/AskMen shed some light on what it’s like to live as a guy. They shared some of their top facts about men that women might not be aware of. We’ve collected some of their best insights to share with you. Check them out as you keep scrolling.

#1

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe That many of us don't want to hurt women or make them uncomfortable.

I spend so much mental effort and time monitoring myself so I don't make the women around me uncomfortable. I understand why women feel like this - it only takes 1 s****y man to change someone's life forever. So I get you have to be vigilant.

I know I'm not dangerous. But I also know women have to operate under the assumption I could be dangerous for their own safety.

I get it. I just want you to feel safe.

4greatscience , Priscilla Du Preez Report

#2

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe You can think someone is attractive without being attractED to them.

Accel_Lex , KoolShooters Report

#3

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe The reason why so many men don't show emotion is because at one point in our lives, we opened up, and it was used against us to some degree. It's happened to almost every man at some point. We choose to be distant so we don't get hurt again.

Vegetable-Mall-2329 , Tomé Louro Report

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It’s no wonder that there’s some misinformation about any topic, including men, floating around on the World Wide Web. People are more likely to believe information that gets repeated more frequently. This is true for both real facts and gossip.

This phenomenon is called the illusory truth effect. It’s a cognitive bias where individuals associate reliability and plausibility with repetition. Somewhat worryingly, it holds true even when someone starts off knowing that the information they’re hearing is false or if they’re suspicious of the source’s reliability.

#4

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe Sometimes we aren't consciously staring at some part of your body, we're just zoned out thinking about something and you happen to be in the line of sight.

Flatulatio , Chinmay Singh Report

#5

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe We can talk with our male friends for hours, and not find out a damn thing about what’s going on with their lives.

And we’re still cool with each other.

Spektakles882 , RDNE Stock project Report

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#6

That some of us need an emotional connection to enjoy sex.

penguinmanbat Report

Psychology Today explains that the illusory truth effect was first established in 1977 with the help of a series of psychological studies. During those studies, researchers found that every time an untrue statement was repeated, people’s confidence in the validity of the information grew.

While this can lead to the accidental spread of misinformation, others can deliberately use this cognitive bias to spread propaganda, especially related to political topics.

#7

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe We don't care for the long gel acrylics or threaded eyebrows or pound of make up.

not_a_cat_i_swear , freestocks.org Report

#8

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe That as much as you assume we know what you're thinking, we don't. We like directions, instructions, not assuming that we know what we have to do.

Megaman2u , Vera Arsic Report

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#9

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe Some of us don’t cheat. Some of us don’t like one night stands. I like to know my woman’s body. Easier to make them crazy about me.

WadeFlavor , anait film Report

A major issue with countering the illusory truth effect is that pushing back against misinformation relies on repeating the same lies that you’re trying to debunk. This, ironically, only works to solidify those very same false facts.

One alternative solution is using the truth sandwich approach, as proposed by cognitive linguist George Lakoff. He suggested mentioning the truth, then the lie, and then describing the correct info. Lakoff suggests always repeating more truths than lies.

#10

We actually find you just as attractive without the makeup, my wife still doesn't believe me and gets confused when I compliment her makeup but she actually doesn't have any on. I really can't tell sometimes.

Automatic-Plastic-53 Report

#11

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe Women would be surprised to know just how many of us have been SAed.

savethebros , viresh studio Report

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#12

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe When I say “I don’t care” about something, I truly do not care. I don’t care if we go to visit your parents or go watch grass grow outside. I really want to do whatever makes you happy.

Knautical_J , Allef Vinicius Report

Another alternative is so-called prebunking or inoculation. In short, it involves first explaining how scientific information can be distorted and then moving on to the consensus on the subject.

What false truths have you personally heard about men, Pandas? What misinterpretations do you wish would get corrected everywhere on the internet? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

#13

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe It feels like many women are misinformed about what we find attractive.

Relaxenjoyyourself:
Very true. It seems to me that women get their idea of what a man finds attractive from other women and gay men. I think a lot of celebrity women are too thin and look sick.

Haventyouheard3 , Alexander Mass Report

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#14

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe The "Nothing Box"...we really do have the ability to think about nothing. Women have a hard trouble believing this. I refer to you the below comedian who explains it well....

Like how so many men love fishing and women can't understand...just switch off and think about nothing.

_VittuPerkele , Austin Neill Report

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René Sauer
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wish I could do that. I am constantly thinking about hypothetical scenarios, like, what would I do if I win a couple million in the lottery? What kinda business would I open?

R Dennis
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't turn off. My wife used to think I couldn't focus because I would have so much going on: watching a movie, listening to music, web browsing, talking to her, and doing math in my head all at the same time.... I need constant input to focus. I could tell her exactly what was going on with each thing fully. She saw a storm, I saw a symphony.

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Jill Rhodry
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think why women have a hard time relating to this is that, in general, we rarely switch off - we're always thinking of what needs to be done when, who needs what etc - this is also why women are trying to get their male partners to understand about the exhaustion that comes with the mental load

Lee Stone
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly. All those people missing the issue with the chores post above. Like must be nice to be able to just think about nothing when I have to worry about making sure we don't run out of clothes, have dishes we can eat off, that the floors get swept and mopped, food is stocked, kids have done their homework, etc.

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Lego Man
Community Member
3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah this is really easy to do when you're out in nature. Like all that's going on in your head if you're just sitting looking out at a landscape is an image of the landscape, no thoughts behind it, just taking it in. It's possible with anything really no matter what you're looking at.

Amelia Jade
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a woman and I love fishing. Sadly, my brain doesn't switch off. It's a huge problem for me. I'd give anything for a moment of nothing. My brain "switching off" means I'm thinking about maybe three different things rather than the usual 50.

TotallyNOTAFox
Community Member
3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is an actual biological reason for this - Men and women have stronger connections between different brain areas. For women it's a left-right side thing and men have more from the front to the back (Study result states that as average). Women chain thoughts together easier, with one thing leading to another and so on while men separate topics from each other more easily

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ADHD here so it's impossible for me to think about nothing. Good on anyone who can though.

RenegadeTrader
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people don't have an internal dialogue. Maybe that's what is meant here?

Noproblem
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As Steven Wright says, “there’s a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.”

Skid Marks
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've had this discussion with my wife. She too finds it strange that we can think nothing. I find it necessary at times.

MetaMaxNL
Community Member
2 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love this one! There is a fantastic video somewhere about this box

grotesqueer
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure which I'd believe: that some people can truly think nothing like this, or that they're just less self-aware about it and simply don't realise they're always thinking about something, even if just the beauty of a landscape they're looking at or some other form of experiencing and living in the moment.

Joe Bloe
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't understand why people want to separate sex so badly!! We all can do the exact same thing with our brain. The difference is not biological, it's placebo effect and bias confirmation. Women can switch off too.

Anne Wyckoff
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a woman who hates to make small talk. I often think of nothing in particular also, so I can definitely believe it from a man.

Sven Horlemann
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, when I go for a run, I get into a meditative state of mind. Alright, you might say I §hink nothing". Works for me.

kansasmagic
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I "think about" nothing but I'm dark that way. OP means "do not think", I think. (There's a difference.) Not thinking is not a thing I can do. If I'm fishing, I'm thinking.

notlikeyou1971
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine is good at zoning out and thinking about absolutely nothing. He can shut everything off

MotherofGuineaPigs
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love fishing. The quiet, the smell of the water, the natural beauty on the shores. I learned as a kid from my dad and grandfather, that thinking about nothing can revive your soul and return peace.

Claire Nichols
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

God I wish I could do this!!! I've only ever been able to 'shut off' when I was a gymnast. That was over 26 years ago!! Still haven't managed to be able to do that when with people, in general!

G A
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It always seems to infuriate the women in my life when I say "I'm not thinking I'm just vegging out". They just don't grasp the concept. Maybe we ARE wired differently!

Donkey boi
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately, I seem to be spending more time in my nothing box than out of it.

Raluca Neacsu
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

is this what its called? being able to completely zone out without a single thought of feeling until someone or something jolts you out of it and then and only then you realise what you were doing? thats what its like for me. correct me if im wrong, please

Tobias Reaper
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

sometimes we are thinking about nothing and sometimes we are imagining ourselves in a Die Hard like situation saving people from terrorists

Captive
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a Seinfeld episode in a plane where the guy zoned out and the lady absolutely hated it

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#15

Men want to, need to and would love to be expressive and vulnerable around you, sometimes switching roles and being the one with the shoulder we need to cry on is ok. It doesn’t mean we are weak, it means we trust you like we trust our mother and would like to open up and build a bond where we both feel supported by each other.

I’ve heard a lot of women complain that men don’t share or men aren’t emotional. Tbh if a man gets emotional, y’all either make fun of it, or dismiss him as a weakling, and then ask why we don’t get vulnerable around y’all. We just find it easier to share it with a guy friend (most of whom don’t know how to deal with their own emotional issues so supporting each other is out the window).

And to the few women I’ve met who understand and support men while they’re being vulnerable, thank you.

Bi_guy3 Report

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#16

That not all of us are misogynistic, domestic violence prone , controlling , anger issues having a******s . There are many of us who just want to be heard , asked about our interests, accompany you and die fighting for you .
Oh yeah and we just wanna be held sometimes.

Satirical98 Report

#17

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe Women don’t know what men find attractive. A lot of women I know personally think men love playing mind games. Think playing hot or cold because “men love mystery”. One of the dumbest things I’ve heard in a long time.

Vlad_The_Great_2 , Jasmine Carter Report

#18

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe 1) Sometimes erections happen and has nothing to do with what we're seeing or thinking about.

2) We really don't get complimented ever. I've seen some women on here recently claim this isn't true.

3) Women are just as responsible as men for men suppressing emotions.

MartialBob , Jeremy Perkins Report

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#19

That we are ready to bang anytime. First of all, I can't get aroused about a woman I don't respect. Don't care how bouncy your figure is if you talk down to the help.

SwearToSaintBatman Report

#20

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe It hurts when you invalidate our feelings or tell us we are bad at things.

Always_Choose_Chaos , cottonbro studio Report

#21

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe Sometimes we don't feel like talking doesn't mean there is anything wrong. We just need time in our own heads sometimes.

Sufficient-Produce83 , Mike Greer Report

#22

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe I gave up dating and chasing women years ago. I was never any good at it and never found it was worth the effort. I'm perfectly fine single so I just can't muster the enthusiasm to bother putting the effort in any more.

My female friends and family flat out refuse to believe I haven't been on a date or hooked up with anyone in about 5 years. They view all guys as desperate, s*x crazed maniacs and the notion that as a single, straight, apparently reasonably attractive man I'm not out trying to hook up with women constantly just does not compute with them and they refuse to believe it.

They think I'm lying or I'm hiding some secret harem of women somewhere, and I've even had some of them try to test if I'm actually gay and hiding it. When I've explained my issues with dating to them in the past they just scoff at it and say 'why don't you just go to a bar and hook up with someone or download a dating app', as if that's all I have to do and I'll have women lining up to get with me. They're baffled when I say it's not that easy for some guys.

chadgalaxy , Pixabay Report

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#23

Many women believe we don’t care about emotional connection as much as they do, but in reality, we often value it deeply but might express it differently.

Future-World-4024 Report

#24

There are many of us who can work full-time, raise kids, and maintain a household perfectly fine.

izzzy12k Report

#25

That we can find women who look very different attractive at the same time.

IrregularBastard Report

#26

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe We don’t want our girl to be like the girl I like on my instagram feed.

IkramAli007 , Nathan Dumlao Report

#27

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe We can go months without ever receiving any attention from the opposite sex.

Agreeable-Many7054 , Zen Chung Report

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#28

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe That we don't just care about s*x, and that some of us actually care very little about it at all.

orlybatman , cottonbro studio Report

#29

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe We really dont talk s**t or sex about you.

Can't remember the last time a bud has talked about their sex life or drama life, we just don't talk about that.

Ta-veren- , Helena Lopes Report

#30

The likelihood that we will be over 6 foot, have a good family life, can travel anywhere at the drop of a hat _and_ making 6 figure income is extremely small.

Harms88 Report

#31

1. erections are involuntary. Sometimes a response to mental or physical stimulation, but sometimes you can find yourself having an erection you don't want, and everyone thinks you're horny when you're not.
2. we have a stitchline on our balls from when the labia fused in the womb to create what then became the ballsack.
3. we all have a shoebox of old wires, adapters, connectors, and cables.
4. sometimes we slam doors and break things, not because we're angry or anything like that, but it can be hard to control your strength sometimes, so you might slam a door and then instantly recoil like "oh f**k oh f**k oh f**k" because you realized you shut it too hard - this is also why some men might be averse/scared to choke or slap girls in bed who ask for it; we don't want to cause actual harm, and it's very easy to accidentally go too hard.
5. I don't know anything about, nor talk about, my friends' partners. I care about my friends, but I don't ever think to ask about their partners. whether it's a person they're dating, or one they're set to marry.
6. A lot of guys can be satisfied with a mattress on the floor, a tv and a fridge with only basic supplies. Anything else is nice-to-have, but not necessary for us to want to spend our entire weekend at home just lounging around.
7. and of course, we spend years trying different positions to optimize our fart-sounds.

Crusty_Dingleberries Report

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#32

We feel sadness after a break up.

MikeyBGeek Report

#33

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe That it’s entirely possible to be a perfectly decent guy with social skills and a good heart, yet still struggle to find love.

I’ve found that, as a man, if you ever say you’re struggling with dating, YOU by default are the problem and people will turn into private investigators trying to find out what’s wrong with you. Maybe you’re unhygienic, or you just don’t groom yourself, or you’re secretly a misogynist. It has to be *something*

No, that’s not necessarily true. That is called the Just World Fallacy. If you can’t get a date, people will often give you nothing advice like “just take a shower,” assuming that if dating is a struggle for you then you must genuinely be that clueless. There are scores of well put together men that just aren’t finding love for any number of reasons that are out of their control and insinuating that they always must be doing something wrong perpetuates the stigma against people who are single in adulthood. The stigma that they’re single because something is wrong with them.

I don’t doubt a lot of men have some ridiculous blind spots in the dating world, but based on dating discourse I’ve seen on here, it seems a lot of women think all a man has to do is be a good and fun human being and he’ll be snatched up immediately.

NawfSideNative , LexScope Report

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#34

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe When we say we're fine we mean it... Alternatively if we say we aren't thinking about anything.

Ultralusk , Priscilla Du Preez Report

#35

“After 21 Years, My Wife Still Can’t Get Her Head Around”: 35 Facts About Men Women Don’t Believe That almost all the s****y things that happen to women at work also happen to men. We get talked over, talked down to, excluded, "mansplained" too, and underpaid as well. The number of times I've heard women complain about this stuff as if it only happens to women is unreal. Maybe it happens more to women, I don't know, but some women seem to believe it literally never happens to men.

There actually isn't a "boys club" where all the men get together smoke cigars, drink brandy, and discuss how we're going to keep the womenfolk down and rate their b**bs.

ghostofkilgore , Antoni Shkraba Report

Note: this post originally had 60 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.

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