From approximately the dawn of time, and certainly as long as men have been keeping records about such things, women have been a puzzle.
Throughout human history these fascinating creatures have perplexed and beguiled even the greatest of men.
But really, women are not as inscrutable as we sometimes make them out to be.
And these five simple tips for understanding women should help you to dispel some of the mystery surrounding them.
1.
Pay attention to what she's saying.
Chances are she is not trying to be inscrutable.
As she tells you about herself, her friends, her work, and her interests, she's also telling you a lot about herself.
Does she talk about gardening and seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of flowers? She'd probably be delighted if your next date was to the local botanical gardens.
Especially since it shows you've been attentive to more than just her boobs.
2.
Pay attention to what she's not saying.
So you've been regaling her with the exciting highlights of last night's football game.
And she says, "Wow, that's exciting.
" So far so good, but did you notice how she said it? Was she leaning forward on the edge of her seat? Or was she counting the ice cubes in her gin and tonic? Did she sound excited? Or was her tone of voice dull and flat? Even if she's too polite to say, "you're boring me out of my skull," the clues are there.
3.
Consider her hormones.
Keep in mind that every few weeks or so, she'll start to feel crampy, bloated, icky, and generally irritable.
She probably won't want to talk about it, so don't bring up the subject (unless she does first -- and even then, proceed with caution.
See "generally irritable", above.
) There's not much she can do about it, and there's nothing you can do about it except wait for it to pass.
And don't take it too personally.
4.
Go deep.
It's one of the most dreaded questions women ask men: "What are you thinking?" And even though you might at that moment have been remembering that you need to take the car for an oil change in the morning, that's not what she means.
She's interested in what you're feeling, what your passions are, what hopes and dreams you hold for the future.
Women are more emotionally aware than men tend to be, and if you're not sharing something of your inner life she'll assume you're holding something back.
5.
Don't play games.
In most cases, while you're trying to understand her, she's trying to understand you.
The resulting back-and-forth of second-guessing and working out the rules of the game is great if you're writing a romantic comedy, but in real life it more often leads to mutual frustration.
If a woman is not all that in to you, she's not going to care about your little game of Hard-to-Get.
Whereas nothing excites her quite as much as feeling wanted.
And with all the other guys out there playing games, a refreshing burst of honesty will make you stand out.
A little openness goes a long way when it comes to understanding women.