How well do YOU understand the opposite sex?

The better you understand the psyches and behaviors of the opposite sex, the easier it will be to get dates and the smoother your dating relationships will go. For instance, women will be able to write an online dating profile username and headline that appeals more to men and instantly grabs their attention (such as "I'm cute and I love to cook"), so they'll get more hits and more dates. Similarly, both sexes will have less trouble flirting and more success breaking the ice with others at singles gatherings when they have a clue about what's going on in the other person's mind. For example, if a guy understands that a woman is often more flattered when he notices her smile rather than her figure, he'll keep his eyes more on her face and give a nice compliment about that when starting a conversation...and will get a MUCH warmer reaction.

I know this from experience in both my single and married lives. The more I learn about how men think and why they do the things they do, the easier it is to accept my husband and to be kind in the face of behaviors that used to upset me. For example, a client of mine recently said she'd told her husband she wished he'd give her compliments more often. And he told her he doesn't feel he should have to SAY those things...she should know how he feels about her by the things he DOES for her. I know my husband is the same way. It isn't often I hear "you look nice in that" but he'll go out and fill up my car tires without my asking. He's always doing little things to make our house nicer or my daily schedule easier, and I now know (5 years into my 2nd marriage)that this is how he tells me he loves me. It's just the way guys are.

Men say FAR more with actions than they do with words. In fact, research shows that women say about 5 times more words in a day than men do, so it's obvious men aren't as comfortable verbalizing things, especially their own thoughts and feelings. As a result, it pays for us women to figure out what their actions mean. And, of course, it pays for men to pick the brains of their sisters, mothers, and female friends to find out more about how women think.

Armed with this knowledge, the "battle of the sexes" could be a lot less combative and a lot more compassionate.

What do you think? Are you trying to understand the opposite sex better? If so, is it making your relationships easier? I'd love to hear your story. Or feel free to pick my brain about what makes the opposite sex tick. I have plenty of insight and resources to share to make things easier.