A lot of men just don’t know how to deal with a woman, let alone an angry or emotional woman.

Take me, for example…

Years ago, anytime any woman got emotional, I’d just shut down, run away, or make them wrong.

Little did I know they were triggering in me all my disowned emotional baggage around “the feminine.”

I also had no relational skills to make it better.

Then I got married and learned loads about how to listen to my wife.

I recently interviewed a seasoned relationship therapist and relationship author who’s been on Oprah, and also helps train therapists.

Here’s his advice on how to disarm an angry woman.

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What’s the takeaway?

Give her what she wants.

But not to calm her down and be patronizing. Terry is suggesting us guys do more yielding and take more responsibility—less defensiveness and more ownership. 

I’ll add another point here.

Us guys need to learn how to validate a woman’s feelings. It’s essential to make her feel safe and seen.

When I do a good job of validating my wife’s experience, it’s not only disarming, it’s also connecting, which is what I want.

It’s also essential to learn how to work out your differences together.

What works for you?

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Author: Jayson Gaddis
Image: “How Do You Know,” IMDB
Editor: Khara-Jade Warren