Many years ago, I went to the largest single day men’s conference in Australia, the Hillsong Men’s Conference.
One of the speakers, Dr A.R. Bernard, shared the title of his message, “What do Women Want“. A holy hush descend on the 5,000 men gathered in the auditorium as they all thought “Wow! I am going to find out today the question that many of my forbears desperately wanted to know but were too afraid to ask”.
The holy hush descended into knowing laughter as Dr Bernard proceeded to explain that women don’t know what they want. He used the example of his wife’s indecision on where to go out for dinner as his set piece explanation — part humour, part fact.
Dr AR Bernard was greatly influenced by Ed Cole, who according to the New York Times was one of the fathers of the modern men’s movement. Ed Cole was one of my greatest inspirations. He coined such phrases as, “Being male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of choice” and “You don’t drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there”.
For this and many other reasons, I have a great deal of respect for Dr AR Bernard, but on this one occasion I disagree with him. It is my belief that women do know what they want, but because they speak a different language to men, we have a communication problem at the most basic of levels. Women speak Venusian whilst men speak in the Martian dialect. To paraphrase Ed Cole, Martian is full of headlines whilst Venusian is full of fine print.
Let me cut to the quick on what women want in a man:
Firstly, a woman wants a man — not a boy or a SNAG (sensitive new age guy) but a man who has confidence. To quote Dana Peach, “What women want from men is confidence. The Trump is Personal Confidence. Confidence… not arrogance, not dominance, not one-upsmanship, not useless bravado, not macho heroics. Women just love truly confident men”.
Secondly, a woman wants a man who will listen to them, respect them and share the confidence that he has in himself with them.
Thirdly, a woman wants to be loved and cared for. All women are love-sponges. They love the attention that only a man can give them. They love to feel truly cared for.
AR Bernard is right in part. Women don’t appear to know what they want, but what they do want is a man who is prepared to fight for them and find out what they want, and then do what it takes to satisfy that need.
Every man alive should read the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Although women speak Venusian, they probably also have a different love language to you. It could be: Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Receiving Gifts, Physical Touch or Quality Time.
I often liken men to a diesel truck, and women to a sports car. A truck can work all day long and move mountains. All it needs is oil and diesel and it will go and go and go. However, a sports car is totally different. It requires the right fuel, the right oil, the right sort of attention by highly skilled technicians. With the right sort of attention, a sports car is capable of amazing performances.
Woman are like sports cars — to reach their full potential they need lots of tender loving care.
Trust me men, once you master the art of confidence and the art servant leadership you will be surprised at where it takes your relationship. Furthermore, once you master the art of listening, the art of love and the importance of the five love languages, you will be surprised at the rewards for both you and your wife and your relationship together.
Yes, a truck can move mountains but, on the racetrack, a well-cared for sports car can outlap a truck any day of the week.
The quest to find out what women want is a lifetime journey. Sometimes it changes by the hour, but it is a quest every man should put his heart and soul into, because the greatest thing a man can do for his children is to find out what the mother of his children wants and give it to her.
Let me make one more point. Perhaps it is fair to say that both men and women don’t really totally understand what they really want. That’s why we need each other.
Lovework
Ask the question of the woman in your life, “What do women want?” and then spend the rest of your life trying to find out, and then give it to her even if it kills you. It is a great way to die! Out of death comes life, and so does love.
Yours for the Love Journey,
Warwick Marsh
About the Author: Warwick Marsh
Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison Marsh since 1975; they have five children and nine grandchildren, and he and his wife live in Wollongong in NSW, Australia. He is a family and faith advocate, social reformer, musician, TV producer, writer and public speaker.
Warwick is a leader in the Men’s and Family Movement, and he is well-known in Australia for his advocacy for children, marriage, manhood, family, fatherhood and faith. Warwick is passionate to encourage men to be great fathers and to know the greatest Father of all. The Father in Whom “there is no shadow of turning.”
