6 Male Phrases You Should Never Tolerate

When you hear unflattering comments about yourself, don’t panic and think you’re not good enough. The world is full of rude and impudent people, but most often, they are uneducated fools who can’t distinguish a compliment from sexism, criticism from personal attacks, and manipulation from valid arguments. All of this can negatively affect your mood and self-esteem, especially if you hear unpleasant things from men. We’ve listed some non-obvious phrases that you should never listen to and certainly not be upset about. Negative behavior should be stopped, not reinforced with tears and insecurities.

1. Specific Comments About Your Appearance

A common misconception is that men don’t pay attention to small details. But that’s not true. Men notice everything and sometimes, during an argument, you might hear not compliments but criticisms. There’s a type of man who thinks any comments about your body and appearance, regardless of how appropriate or pleasant they are, is his sacred mission. So, if you’re not genuinely interested in his opinion about your knees, ankles, or hair, don’t listen and don’t tolerate such criticism. Remember, only you decide how you should look, not to mention that perfection is an illusion that’s wrongly placed on a pedestal.

2. “You Have Daddy Issues”

It’s true that girls often have a special emotional bond with their fathers, but using this phrase as an argument in a dispute is completely wrong. While girls depend on their fathers, boys depend on their mothers. And this issue has affected women much more than men. A man dependent on his mother can be selfish, irresponsible, or afraid of commitment. Of course, this isn’t true in 100% of cases, but if a man hints at your emotional instability, remember how many mama’s boys there are in the world, whose attitude towards their mothers is not always tender and caring. You may have psychological and emotional difficulties related to your family, but that doesn’t mean you base your arguments on skeletons in the closet.

3. “You’re Acting Like a Slut”

The concept of “easy behavior” has gone through a series of social mutations. Now, this description can fit not only those who literally sell themselves or lead an indecent lifestyle but also all those girls whose attitude towards sex is as casual as that of men. But most often, people have serious reasons for sexual freedom: maybe you were in a serious relationship for a long time and now want variety, or perhaps there’s a serious psychological problem, and a girl starts to think that sex is all she can offer to this world. These motives are important. Of course, if you’re just sleeping around and wondering why you’re not in a serious relationship, the answer is simple – you can’t be trusted. But the same is true for men. You need to realize who you’re going to build a relationship with, because sometimes it’s a question of sexual preferences.

But if a man uses the word “slut” as a elegant metaphor to explain why he doesn’t want to be with you, then you’re truly better off without this jerk.

4. “You Say That Because You’re a Woman”

All you should do after hearing this phrase is roll your eyes, or better yet, just walk away. It’s completely illogical and offensive when all your feelings, thoughts, and experiences are attributed to your gender. Individuality is by default higher than collective consciousness, but women have to hear such manifestations of sexism day after day. Meanwhile, the phrase “you say that because you’re a man” can have a more positive connotation, because men are always right. Sexism from others should not affect your self-esteem and ability to think rationally.

5. “Your Ideas Are Not Serious”

When a woman talks about big ideas, many men do the following:

They nitpick more than they would with a man, as they think you’ve forgotten your place.

Most men think that women are a bunch of dilettantes, sticking their noses in men’s business, even if we’re not interested in that area at all. All because women are control-obsessed hysterics. But in reality, a woman who raises serious issues publicly either knows her stuff very well or is trying to learn as quickly as possible. Sociological studies show that women feel insecure when talking about important things simply because they think they’re not good enough.

They react as if it’s the most brilliant thing they’ve ever heard, and you’ve exceeded all expectations.

This is no less offensive than the previous reaction because, in this case, you’re perceived as someone who was initially incapable of such brilliant results, and lower standards were always applied to you simply because you’re a girl. Ideally, a man should challenge a woman, not lower your bar, otherwise, it’s sexism. If you want to point out a man’s mistaken opinion about women, you’ll have to think like him. Most men think that girls are irrational creatures. You’ll have to fight him with his own weapon – logic and only logic. This will not only prove that he’s wrong but also give you satisfaction.

6. “You’re Too Dependent on Your Friends’ Opinions”

Such words are addressed not only to women, of course, but some men think that group thinking is inherent only to us. And that’s very bad because it’s not true. How many times have women risked friendship for the sake of relationships with their man! Girls don’t care if their man is liked by any of their friends, if he’s rich or sexy. Girls want to feel that he’s the one with whom they’ll go against the whole world. This is not always practical and turns out to be happiness, but even in this risky situation, it’s the girl who takes the risk. Men worry about what their mothers and friends will think. Women are crazy romantics.

For more insights on everyday sexism, you can refer to this authoritative source.