Admit

No one wants to admit that they’re wrong. It’s not a comfortable position for you to be in. When you acknowledge that you’ve made a mistake, it makes you feel defenseless, weak, and exposed.

Some say that when you admit that you’re incorrect that it makes you feel somewhat inadequate. Perhaps this is why so many people keep heated arguments and debates going when they should have been finished long ago.

It all comes down to the psychology of the situation. A human needs to feel that they’re correct, even if they’re not. Even when there is evidence that proves your wrong, why is it so hard to admit it?

Emotions Get in the Way of Logic

You’re a complex being that is driven by both instinct and emotion. How often have your feelings taken over and caused you to do or say something that you regretted later? It’s because emotions are powerful, and they can get in the way of your ability to use logic.

When there’s a topic that you care deeply about, your emotions kick into overdrive. Your reasoning skills are thrown out the window as you’re willing to argue to the bitter end over your passions. If there is something that challenges your beliefs, you may find it tough to accept that what you believe isn’t true.

For instance, you may believe that the Earth is flat when the vast majority think it’s round. You can receive proof from scientific studies, but you still feel intense about your opinions. Thus, your emotions get in the way of logic.

Galileo Risked it all For a Heliocentric Beliefs

In the 17th century, the Catholic Church was in an uproar because Galileo, the famous scientist, dared to think that the Earth was not the center of the universe. The Church believed that the sun revolved around the Earth, and since Galileo felt differently, a vast argument came about that split the people.

Galileo was right in his theories, but heliocentric beliefs weren’t commonplace, and they were against the teachings of the ministry. He was labeled a heresy and shunned.

It didn’t matter that Galileo was right, as the Church would never admit they were incorrect. They let pride get in the way, and it took more than 300 years for them to realize he was right finally. Now, you know that the sun was the center of the universe and the Earth revolved around it.

Galileo stood firm in his beliefs, but he wasn’t alive to hear his name vindicated. This story shows that when something challenges what you believe, it’s natural to reject those things. Some may even feel insulted that their beliefs are challenged.

It Takes Immense Strength to Admit You’re Wrong

When someone or something challenges you, it’s natural for you to reject them or their ideas initially. The reason is that you feel that offended, perhaps a bit disrespected, and vulnerable.

You have an instinct inside of you that believes you are correct, and you have pride in your beliefs. Even if you are incorrect, you don’t want to consider it. Did you know that admitting you’re mistaken about something takes immense strength? Have you ever been around someone that wouldn’t admit they were wrong no matter what?

Consider a child with a cookie in his mouth that tells his mom he never got into the cookie jar. The mother can see the chocolate on his face, yet he won’t admit to what he’s done. The child fears that he’s going to get into trouble, or he doesn’t want to let his mother down. To avoid disappointing his mom, he lies.

How often have you been afraid to admit your wrong about a matter because you worry that people might be disappointed in you, think you can do better, or have a different opinion of you once the truth comes out?

Your pride is afraid to put yourself in a vulnerable position so that you may know deep down inside that you’re incorrect in a matter, but you will never admit it.

Vulnerability Isn’t Always a Bad Thing.

Have you ever had a boss that made horrible business decisions, but they would never admit they made a mistake? If they were to accept their blunder, then their employees would question their authority and competency.

Being wrong shows others their inept nature and weakness. Let’s assume that a manager needed to make cuts in his trash company. He felt the logical place to make these deductions was in labor.

The current staff was given over time, and they were on the road more than before. Sure, the company saved money because it didn’t have to pay employee benefits and labor to many people. However, as a result, there were several costly accidents that more than exceeded the amount he cut from the budget.

The employees were exhausted, several quit. Indeed, finding the staff became impossible. The boss made a mistake by pulling money from an area that desperately needed it. However, it’s going to be exceedingly challenging to admit that he was wrong because the employees won’t trust him in future rulings.

How different would the situation be if he went to his staff and admitted he made a mistake and was going to correct it? It could be what was needed to turn the whole company around. Thinking that these employees will forget what happened is delusional and insulting.

Admitting to the mistake and rectifying it quickly will allow people to retain confidence. A manager must be able to develop and maintain relationships, and you can’t do that unless there is trust.

Don’t Be Afraid to Embrace Failures.

When you admit you’ve messed up, it may make things complicated for a while. Think of it like this; “if you take out the trash now, it won’t have time to sit there and stink up the place.”

You will show others your courage and character when you come forward and say that you messed up, then apologize for these actions. A leader doesn’t need to be infallible to be successful. When you accept your imperfections, you can overcome your insecurities and the fears that hold you back.

Did you know that many famous people had to admit they were wrong? History always writes about the victories, but sometimes you must consider the defeats. Remember the famed candy maker Milton Hershey? He built one of the biggest chocolate empires in the world.

People may think that he had it all and was one of the richest men in the country. However, Hershey made many mistakes along the way that cost him everything. He filed for bankruptcy two times on his dream.

The failures of those attempts might have stopped many people, but it only drove him to try harder. The third time, he learned from his mistakes and turned the chocolate world on its head with the Hershey Bar, and the rest is history. What if he didn’t admit defeat and try again?

The world might not have had a Mr. Goodbar or Reese’s peanut butter cup. Hershey is a perfect example of learning from your mistakes, picking yourself up, and trying again.

Living in a Perfect World

Part of the reason why people are so reluctant to admit their failures is that society pushes perfection. There’s nothing immoral with wanting to be a success, but it’s not always attainable. You will stumble, fall, and learn many lessons along the way.

You must learn that failing is both inevitable and necessary in life. It helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to grow as a person. Life brings lessons that are sometimes painful, but they are necessary.

Remember the story of Thomas Edison? He created the light bulb, the record player, electric pen, movie cameras, and tons of other things. However, did you know that his teacher told his mother that he was unteachable, and due to his mental deficiencies, he was removed from school?

However, his mother didn’t care about all his mistakes or problems. She homeschooled and taught him everything he needed to know. Though he made many errors in life and had some challenges, he became one of the great minds in history.

Final Thoughts on Learning Life Lessons and Admitting When You Are Wrong

Everyone has flaws, and you are going to make mistakes along the way. Accept that you’re not perfect and that when you stumble, life is just teaching you a lesson. It’s complicated, but once you learn to say, “I was wrong,” it will change everything for you.

People respect those people who can admit defeat, and you will respect yourself too. If all of society were perfect, then it would be a boring world to live in. There is no one else like you on this planet, so you must embrace the times you fall and use them as life lessons to arise bigger and better than before.

In today’s culture, many carry the thought and assumption that the man in a relationship has to be this strong and perfect individual. Some believe that men must bear the world on their shoulders without showing any weakness. This macho mindset actually can do more harm than good, though.

That’s because gentlemen need certain things in a relationship. But, out of fear of being seen as less of a man or showing weakness, they will never admit they need.

Luckily, all you need is a little perception. And it helps to know a little about how men think to figure out all you need to know. Here are the five things that most men will never admit they need in a relationship. But let’s face it, they do.

5 Things Men Need (but won’t admit!)

1 – Strength, Support, and Presence

It’s typical for many men not to want to talk about their problems. Instead, they just tough it out and figure things out on their own. Men enjoy solving problems and like to fix things. They are always looking for a way to improve the situation.

The frustrations that can come along with that problem-solving nature can be intense, though.  They grow increasingly worried when facing a problem that seems unfixable or a situation that they feel powerless against or entirely out of their control.

When men come up against difficult problems, your support and presence are vital. Just knowing they have someone in their corner or someone to talk to when they hit that wall and can’t break through means the world. Just don’t try to force your support on them.

Men can be very independent when it comes to problem-solving. Additionally, they can be almost stubborn. Men need your support and care, especially when under stress. When it comes to helping your partner with their problems, think of them like a cat. Let them come to you when they’re ready instead of smothering them in affection and support.

The important thing is to make yourself available and provide that rock for them to lean on when they need it. There are plenty of ways men can try to stay strong during even the toughest times. But sometimes what they need most can’t come from within but from others. Make sure you’re close by when they realize that and come to you for help with their troubles.

2 – Your Approval, and Ability to Let Go

While most men will probably never admit it, we think the world of you, and a big part of that is your opinion of us. Many men actually feel very insecure about their partner’s feelings about their actions and lifestyle, continually judging themselves and wondering if they’re measuring up. Many men need to see their partner happy, and it can be crushing, seeing their partner get upset, especially if it is over something they did.

When men do get it right, let them know it. Knowing we have your approval, even over the little things, can be a huge confidence boost. Let us know how proud you are. And tell your special someone that he made the right call. It can be effortless just to focus on the negatives. So definitely make an effort to point out both the good and the bad.

On the flip side, if we have screwed up, which we inevitably will, men want women who will treat us as equals. Nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes sometimes. So don’t hold it against your partner when they do eventually slip up and make a mistake. It’s ok to get mad for a little while, but try not to hold a grudge.

Forgive them, move on, and give them another chance. Nothing hurts more than feeling like you’ll never live down that one mistake, or that you potentially ruined a relationship, so don’t put your partner in that kind of position by holding a grudge over the little things.

3 – Your Touch

Intimacy is an essential part of any relationship. But we’re not just talking about fun in the bedroom. While most of the time, guys get a bad reputation for just wanting physical contact and sex in a relationship, regular physical contact is a natural part of any relationship. Physical contact goes a long way to making men feel loved and appreciated in a relationship. They enjoy the little things like being held, holding hands, or just being a shoulder to lean on.

Men need some form of contact, and a relationship without any kind of physical affection can quickly feel cold and emotionless. A little bit of warmth goes a long way, so don’t be afraid to show a little bit of love here and there.

On the other hand, you don’t need to hang all over them wherever they go. Smothering your partner with love might be overdoing it, and just like anyone, men need their own space sometimes too. The sweet spot between too little and too much affection varies from person to person, so keep an open mind and be receptive to their body language and signals to make sure you’re not overdoing it.

If you do get the sense that your partner needs some space or just needs some alone time, let them do their own thing and let them recharge. It’s normal for guys to want to develop some interests that you don’t both share. This helps them recharge their batteries.

Read their signals, and if they seem to be avoiding you, then you might be overdoing things. Give them their space and give them the chance to miss you and come back when they’re ready. Otherwise, you’ll likely just end up driving them away.

4 – Your Loyalty and Trust

Men need your trust. It’s that simple. It’s important to note that not every guy is looking to sleep around behind your back or try to cheat on you. There are some guys out there who are just after a good time, but if you’ve been burned in the past, don’t project that assumption on to every guy you meet.

Males want you to trust them. It can be emotionally frustrating having to prove their loyalty continually. When push comes to shove, many guys might not find it worth the effort if you’re always putting them through the wringer over every person they’ve spoken to or why they’re friendly with the waitress at the restaurant you’re at.

Unless they give you a good reason not to trust them, cut your partner some slack and at least go into things with an open mind, rather than trying to be always on alert trying to catch them doing something.

On the other hand, trust is a two-way street. While men want your trust, they also want your loyalty. They want you to be the only one for them. They want that commitment. Show that commitment by supporting them when nobody else will, staying by them through thick and thin, and making sure they’re the only romantic love in your life.

5 – Your Friendship

Your friendship with your partner is the foundation for everything. You likely started as friends before dating, and if not, then a deep bond formed as you got to know each other better. Men want to know more about you and continue deepening that bod that started it all.

Don’t be afraid to talk about your day, share stories, discover new hobbies, and do activities together. At the end of the day, we just want to spend time with you and enjoy your company.

Take some time to plan outings or date nights, even long after you’ve settled down. It not only helps keep things fresh and exciting, but it also gives us the chance to keep learning more about you and keeps us comfortable and secure with who you are outside of the relationship. Yes, you may be someone’s partner, but you’re also still you, and there is plenty about that to fall in love with over and over again.

Final Thoughts on the Things Men Secretly Want in a Relationship

Between the tough-guy culture that’s conditioned men to keep everything bottled up and carry the world on their shoulders, and many misconceptions about men being misogynists, pigs, and cheaters that kill many chances at relationships before they even get off the ground, it’s understandable that many times women don’t know what men really want.

Media and our culture have skewed the rational expectations of what men should be so much. So you’ll have to put all of those assumptions aside if you ever want a relationship to really work.

Many of these needs are also very subjective, and everyone is different. While most men appreciate and do well with many of the items on this list, finding that perfect balance really comes down to proper communication between you and your partner.

Some guys are more of the loner type who prefer their space. Others are like puppies who absolutely love attention. Some guys are more open with their emotions, while others can hardly put their feelings into words. Remember, everyone is different, so try not to judge or base expectations on your current relationship off of your last one either. That’s not fair to your party, nor yourself.