OFFICIAL: Men are more romantic than us!
WE wEEp over the film Love Story and sigh wistfully at memories of our first love. we concoct dinners and serve them by candlelight for the man in our life. we buy whimsical dresses. we wrap his love letters in blue ribbon and hide them to read on a rainy day.
All that is not enough. we’ve been found out. MAN, it transpires, is more romantic than woman. women may be more sentimental, but when it comes to a true, fine romantic nature — men beat us hands down.
SUICIDE
An American couple, Elaine and G. william walster, have spent three years compiling a book A New Look At Love and their findings include these revelations.
Men fall in love much more quickly than women, are much more reluctant to end an affair, take longer to get over a broken romance — and are three times as likely to commit suicide over love as women.
Says psychologist Dr Hemming: ‘Men have lost some confidence while women have gained some.
‘Men no longer have the built-in bonus of being male; they have to prove themselves as people. But while men are searching harder for relationships, women are becoming hard-headed.
‘And when a man feels he is losing his woman, he gets insecure.
‘ Romance is built on fantasy. when a man enters a relationship with a woman, to him she is a symbol of everything that is adorable and exciting.
‘Too often he marries in a gush of romanticism.
‘ The woman finds her image hard to live up to and would rather not be put on a pedestal.’
ELIGIBLE
But do British men confirm what everyone is telling us? Amazingly — yes, they do.
An explorer, comedian, sportsman and playwright each admitted their
romantic tendencies without so much as a blush. John Osborne, five-times
married playwright: ‘Most of the men I know are romantic and I am too.
‘To be romantic is to do things for folly. Soldiers and sailors are romantic. And, I certainly don’t write for the fame or glory or money.
‘All the great romantics were men.
‘ women are too hardheaded and practical to be romantic. I’m sure they think men’s romanticism verges on the silly.
‘I’ve always bought love tokens. when my wife and I were married I bought her a dress and some pretty china.’ John Lloyd, British tennis heart- throb: ‘ I’m very romantic — if I go out with someone I like to treat her really well and buy her jewellery, perfume and flowers. I think most girls appreciate this but some have been put off.
‘I think they would prefer me to be a bit ruthless with them!
‘I don’t believe in women’s lib — it’s okay for a girl to have a career, but I like very feminine ladies and I still believe in marriage!’ Col. John Blashford-Snell,
explorer: ‘I’m a romantic, though my wife doesn’t think so.
‘That’s why I do what I do — the rest of it is curiosity.
‘And I’d say that the men who come on our expeditions have a far more romantic view of it than the women (30 per cent of our team). The men see it through rose- coloured specs while the women are more practical and see more of the dangers.’ Les Dawson, comedian: ‘I’ve always said men are more romantic than women. The night I proposed to my wife it was very romantic — and I’m being serious — we went to a dance, and halfway through the waltz I popped the question.
‘we got engaged and I bought her a diamond ring. when it’s her birthday I always buy her red roses — I love flowers.’