Women associate affection with love. … Men associate affection much more directly with sex. … Men see affection of any kind as a sexual invitation. Many women find this bewildering. (Kramer & Dunaway)
Men are usually deprived of attention (on their emotional well-being, sexual interest and physical attractiveness apart from the exceptionally beautiful ones), apart from social recognition of their abilities and performances at work or in social activities. Whereas women are receiving lots of sexual (unwanted, mostly) attention and when they have a good support system, affection. Therefore, the feeling of lack of different kinds of attentions is opposite according to gender. Now that support systems for women are tending to fail, the balance seems to be shifting a little.
Men experience sexual love. Their love for a partner is dependent on getting the sexual interaction - primarily intercourse - that they need. Women experience platonic love that is not conditional on having sex. Women hope that men will demonstrate affection and caring behaviours. Women want to be more than just a receptacle for semen. Men have difficulty understanding this because they assume that being the receiver is just as rewarding as being the penetrating male. Intercourse is primarily a male pleasure but a woman may enjoy emotional rewards with a loving partner.
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