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I noticed this funny phenomena happening amongst my friends recently. I’ve had several female friends in their early thirties break up with a man they’d been dating for a year or two—a man who just wasn’t giving them what they needed emotionally—only to have that man come back with some speech about being ready for a life partner or finally recognizing the value in a meaningful relationship. This has seriously happened to four of my good female friends in the last couple of years. I could sum up all of the speeches these men gave into pretty much the same message and that message is this: I just grew up, and realized there’s value in meaningful relationships. Honestly, it all makes perfect sense to me. All of these women are dating men in their mid thirties, which is around the time guys start to realize there’s more to life than drinking until blackout with friends and having random hookups. But why? Why do they realize this so much later than women? I have my theories.
Their celebrities are athletes
Men are taught to idolize athletes. When parents or teachers want to tell them about certain values or ethical codes, they will do so through stories about athletes. They’ll talk about some persistent baseball player who just wouldn’t give up. They teach work ethic and morals through athletic achievements.
