Most people would think a man wants a good looking woman. Foremost, last and always. And though, as a man, I know where they’re coming from, what a man is really looking for is something much deeper than that. He is wanting something to reassure him that he is an alright guy, that he is an okay person, that he is worth something.

In short, what a man really wants is validation.

He seeks this in many ways, a primary vehicle of which is his relationship with women. Something instinctive tells him that she can make him alright. Whether it be by how pretty a woman he can keep at his side, or by the scorecard of how many women he has vanquished in some romantic fashion, he sometimes goes through an entire lifetime attempting to feel good about himself through having relationships with women.

The Key to Winning a Man’s Heart

But the fact remains, he is vulnerable, very vulnerable. And for that wise woman who understands this, it provides an opening to secure the man of her choice like spearing fish in a barrel!

You see, most men going around trying to sport a good looking woman on their arm, or keeping lists of their female conquests, for one reason and one reason alone: It gives them a sense of validation and being worth something, and that is a feeling they desperately feel the need for.

The only problem is, this kind of validation is temporary and fleeting and, like a drug or alcohol, only leaves him feeling empty and in need of another fix as soon as a little time has gone by.

Man’s greatest vulnerability is not a physical need, but a psychological one. It is the need to be loved, but not just loved by anyone – to be loved by someone he senses is emotionally independent and strong. This kind of love is validating and worthwhile.

So, if you as a woman wish to stand out and make a difference to the man of your dreams you have to make up your mind not to be weak. You must demonstrate in your every action that, though you may derive great enjoyment and fulfillment in the company of the man you want, you still have the capacity to survive very well and go on with your life and be happy without him if he ever takes you for granted or misuses you.

A man may think he needs a bimbo by his side to show off to the other guys, but in his heart he knows he’s perpetrating a fraud. She may help him make the other guys jealous, evoking a kind of prideful satisfaction in one way on his part, but in his heart he knows she’s not what he really wants or needs. He’s compromised for this because he’s lacking the real thing he wants.

No, what a man really wants is a woman who loves him in spite of himself, but won’t put up with his bull.

Validate Your Man

Here are several key points to remember, in trying to bring true love into your life and into the life of the man you choose:

Come to terms with the fact that you don’t need anyone to be happy in your life. You may want someone very badly, but in the end you must come to accept the reality that you will always somehow survive if it doesn’t happen and you will make the best of what life gives you. Make up your mind that you will not ever tolerate being disrespected, disregarded, misused, abused, or used in any fashion whatsoever. You need not revile against someone who so treats you, but you definitely make your absence felt in their life when they do so. Be reserved in the love you shower upon your man. You may bestow limited tokens of cherishing, but if they are not reciprocated in quantity and kind, back off or your love will become less and less appreciated and ultimately despised.

Learn to listen objectively, and to reflect feelings expressed by him without advising, criticizing, or trying to change him. Don’t even offer too much sympathy, lest it be quickly taken for granted. Don’t be afraid to be without him for extended periods of time. When he is out of your life, make sure that your life is as happy and productive and fruitful as it ever is when he’s around. At the same time, don’t throw out a welcome mat that says, “Walk On Me!” the minute he starts coming back around. Show pleasure to see him again, but be restrained.

Conclusion

In essence, then, you have it in your power to calm your troubled man like a little boy in his mother’s arms. Therein lies what a man really wants: a Woman who nurtures him but who he can look up to and knows won’t take any of his guff.

Be caring, but be strong. Therein lies the key to fulfilling a man’s heart. You may wonder why I’m so concerned about meeting the man’s needs and not yours, but that’s another article. If he isn’t fulfilling your needs you’re definitely choosing the wrong man.

But if you’ve got the right man and you become What He Really Wants, such a love must be clung to with all the strength you can muster. For such a love is attainable, but rare in this world of ours.

By Tom McKnight