Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (1992) is a book written by American author and relationship counselor John Gray, after he had earned degrees in meditation and taken a correspondence course in psychology.
I read the book, conquered.
I had stopped reading books for the past 4 years. Nothing seemed to quench me after Conversations with God. Now, this may seem arrogant and off-beat but I do mean it. This, until this one book happened and I realized that it could actually be the manual to be injected in Sex Education classes that becomes such a grandiloquent subject of taboo. It's a practical guide that I can see mothers recommending to their daughters (although in my case, it's perpetually the other way round), friends giving as gifts and brothers stealing from their sisters!
Gray's insights into how to allow your other half to "pull away" like an elastic band, prevent your emotional baggage from polluting your current relationship, and translate the phrases of the opposite sex are as relevant now as when they were first published. With straightforward, honest writing from that precious male perspective, Gray unlocks the secrets hidden in your partner's words and actions to enable you both to reach true mutual understanding and a lifetime of love. And all of this, in a very previous male voice!
Does it shock you enough to know that I realized I killed part of my father after reading this book? Does it shock you enough to know that my faith in the inequality between men and women has further been strengthened by this book? (Not inequality of opportunities, but inequality of being-ness, equity is whole story all together.)
I'll add myself to the thousands who believe that Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus should be a mandatory reading for everyone!
Some of my favorite excerpts from the book:
“Men are motivated when they feel needed while women are motivated when they feel cherished.”
“We mistakenly assume that if our partners love us they will react and behave in certain ways—the ways we react and behave when we love someone.”
“Fortunately perfection is not a requirement for creating great relationships.”
“Just as a man is fulfilled through working out the intricate details of solving a problem, a woman is fulfilled through talking about the details of her problems.”
“A woman should not be judged for needing this reassurance, just as a man should not be judged for needing to withdraw.”
“Love is magical, and it can last, if we remember our differences.”
― John Gray, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships
