If you've watched your fair share of romantic movies or devoured a romance novel or two, this scene may be all too familiar to you by now: The handsome male lead doing everything in his power to sweep his love interest off her feet -- writing her poems, buying her chocolates, planting a kiss at the end of the night.
And even if the pair are already in a relationship together, it's the man who tends to be portrayed as the one responsible for making his partner feel beautiful and valued.
While it's certainly true that a guy should strive to make his lady feel appreciated, it goes the other way as well.
Men may not show it, but they, too, yearn to feel desired, to feel needed. They love receiving compliments, being told they're attractive, and being chased by their significant other every now and then.
This, of course, extends to the bedroom. Men like for their partner to initiate and take control when least expected.
But even so small a gesture as a call or text to tell a guy you've been thinking about him and that you enjoyed your date the other night can make him feel like a million bucks.
Many men are taught not to express their emotions, not to betray the slightest hint that they long for their partner to acknowledge their best attributes, whether physical or otherwise.
A man, they've ingrained in their minds, ought to be strong, able to carry on just fine whether his partner throws him a bone or not.
This is a wrong-headed approach.
Men and women both deserve to feel valued; each ought to speak up whenever they feel the other fails to see their worth.
Hopefully, that will give the other person a wake-up call, making them realize that taking their partner for granted just isn't going to fly.
If it doesn't, the relationship will begin to crumble until the individual who feels unacknowledged decides it's time to hit the road.
Now, wanting one's partner to make them feel appreciated is not the same as neediness, as fishing for validation. If you're pressing your partner to tell you you're beautiful, say, three or more times a day, there may be underlying self-esteem or insecurity issues that need to be addressed.
Men, by and large, have no problem being the ones to get the ball rolling most of the time. But every now and then, a warm call, loving text, romantic card, passionate kiss, or sweet compliment initiated by their partner will not only melt his heart, but make him more inclined to continue buttering her up.
It's a win win.
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