Male and Female Friendships?

Question

Here's my concern. I saw a poll that said that more men would die for their best guy friends than women would die for their best girlfriends. Why is it if women are closer to each other than men are, that men would be more willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their guy friends?

Answer 1

Because men are all talk and macho....Women answered the question honestly.

Answer 2

I think because women, while supposedly closer to each other than men, don't have that bond that men do with their close friends. My husband has close friends that is basically a brotherhood, they would do anything for one another and are there no matter what, no matter what time of day. Do I see this around my women friends? Nope. I wonder if it also because men are more able to see themselves in these situations than women are. I can't imagine being put in a situation where I would have to choose. I know that I would sacrifice myself for my best friend (we've been extremely close for 15 years), but not for other girlfriends I would consider "best friends." I don't know. I think it just has to do with men and women's mentality about life too. Men are also more protective then women are. I think a woman would be like "who's going to save me?" in that situation, while a man would be like "I'm going to save them." I don't know a real solid answer other than my ponderings. Good question though!

Answer 3

This poll has little to do with reality. Men are more likely than women to saay that they would die for friend, simply out of a kind of machismo. Women, if polled would be less likely to say theyw ould die for a friend, as many would think that sounded unfeminine. In a real event, U think a woman would stand up faster than most men.

Answer 4

I think it's because men probably don't value the important things as much as women do. They probably feel that it wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice to die for their best friend, but women sometimes think that it IS a really big sacrifice.

Answer 5

The same reason men are signing up to go to Iraq. Machismo perhaps, but I'd say it's a form of loyalty. I suspect that the male tendency to categorize the world in simple ways includes this form of loyalty for many, but certainly not all, men. I think it's a form of Medieval behavior that hasn't been technologized completely out of our existence, yet.

Women save their loyalty for their children. Try messing with some woman's kid and you should see her inner-mama bear emerge. But you can always observe women fighting over the same man and the rules of friendship go out the door! Perhaps it's a version of survival of the fittest or some other type of species perpetuation.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just observable behavior.

Good question though. Thanks!

Answer 6

I never believed that women are closer to each other than men are closer to each other. Women are a much more jealous animal than men as see another woman a competition. On the other hand I think most men see other men as possible friends.

As far as male aggressive, I don't think that plays into the picture if you ever watched a mother defending her child.

The poll doesn’t surprise me in the least... but I suspect the number are very close.

Answer 7

In reality, guys have extremely strong bonds between each other - just because we dont show them emotionally does not mean we have them.

On the other hand, I tend to find that women's relationships between each other tend to be based on what that other person can offer them at the time, and find many women to be very fickle with whom they call their friends at any given time - ask the same question on day 1 of each month and you will get a different answer most of the time.

Answer 8

I am not sure if this is true for everybody, but I can say without a doubt that most people I consider friends, I don't actually like. They are more like aqcuaintances. I have had only one close friend in my life, and if it were life or death, I would put my life on the line for her...but then again, if I had to throw myself in front of a moving car to save a stranger I would!

Answer 9

Women tend to be more careless with one another's feelings. Think about how many girls and women you know that talk behind each others backs and argue over the smallest, most insignificant things. When I'm around my fiance and his friends, I observe that there is little to no drama, everything is simplified and everyone's happy go lucky the majority of the time.

Answer 10

Well girls can be more backstabbing. They may share their deepest secrets, cry with them, and do whatever that most guys won't do together but it doens't necessarily mean they're close.
Guys can usually be more close but not really show it. I mean I barely see my friends except at school but I would definately sacrifice myself for them.
Also girls maybe be less willing to go and do something like that, or they just didn't ask the right people.

Answer 11

Maybe it's the soldier mentality. We still have more men than women in combat, and the men are taught to think in terms of dying to protect each other. The one who runs is called all kinds of dirty names.