Check out these common mistakes wives make that injure their husband's sensitive pride (adapted from Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood) and tell me what you think. Agree or not? Do you think taht working on these things could improve your marriage? Do you have experience with any of these things?
1) Criticizing his weaknesses.
2) Speaking angrily when he fails in a masculine area of responsibility.
3) Disagreeing with him on masculine matters.
4) Pouring cold water on his ideas.
5) Giving him advice when he has not asked for it.
6) Discussing his career or occupation as if you know as much about it as he does.
7) Reminding him how you struggle on his income.
8) Telling others how much your parents have done for you since you got married.
9) Admiring a masculine quality in another man.
10) Suggesting he call a repair man when he is trying to repair something.
11) Not paying attention when he is telling you about something of which he is proud.
12) Not praising him when he does something outstandingly well.
13) Telling him he is losing his figure or his hair.
14) Holding yourself up as an example for him to follow.
15) Reminding him of your superior education.
16) Excelling him in a male-dominated sport such as athletics, golf, swimming, etc.
17) Going out to work when he would prefer that you stayed at home.
18) Telling others that you have to go out to work to make ends meet.
All these mistakes BELITTLE your husband. They sap his self-confidence.
He feels less manly. He may feel unworthy of you. No matter how much he knows that he should, or would like to. Nor can he bring himself to confide in you, although he may long to. His fear of further hurt and his resentment prevent him. More often, the hurt causes him to feel angry and resentful towards you. He then shows his bad side, his ugly side.
He just can’t feel loving and tender towards you.
There is also another reason why a man may not confide in his wife, even when she is not hurting his pride. That is when she is a blabber mouth. When he cannot trust her to keep it to herself. We must learn to be discreet when our husband confides in us.
