Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Women Explain Which Small Gestures They Wish Men Did More Often

Women Explain Which Small Gestures They Wish Men Did More Often
Image by Pexels from Pixabay

The following is not a dig against the bad boyfriends in our lives.


It's not hard to look at some of the gestures listed below and think how lovely they would be if the men in your life did them all the time. At the heart of it, however, is women asking for one thing: for the men in their lives to be kinder, more understanding, and more attentive. These are fair and decent requests, and should certainly be considered by all men reading today.

Reddit user, u/Lordofspades_notgame, wanted to hear what you want to happen on a recurring basis when they asked:

Girls of Reddit, what are some seemingly small gestures you wish guys did more often?

Little things stack up over time, like bricks building a strong foundation for a better relationship. You don't have to go and repaint the entire house. Start small. You'll go far.

Carry A Notebook Everywhere

"Any gesture of thoughtfulness... from a "thinking of you" text to an "I know these are your favorite" small gift."

sirfrancisbuxton

"My piece of advice for all dudes, that I use in my life all the time, if she shows you something she likes save it, write it down, make a mental note, text yourself it. Keep a folder of all those somewhere and boom you have a present list. It goes a long way in showing you pay attention and half the time she forgets about showing you and you seem like a wizard."

Justifier3200

Gotta Get Those Daily Raids In

"I love random little gifts to know you are thinking about me. Nothing big, but a little note, a favorite candy bar, some flowers from the garden. They can go along way."

whamanraman

"This! My boyfriend surprises me in the smallest ways, from a random Reese's to digging in the shelf to see if the store has my favorite Arizona, or helping me get a Pokemon I want in a raid. It's never the grand gestures that make a difference, it's the small day to day gestures just to see me smile that make a difference."

"I also do the same thing for him!"

Libitica

Everyone Always Likes Drink

"Okay, so it's small but I genuinely really like it. This guy (romantic Interest) of mine always takes my glass for a refill of whatever I'm drinking when he gets up to get more for himself. I do the same for him in return. It's something little but never fails so make me smile softly to myself once he's left the room."

"Edit: Please be weary of anyone with your drink. I worked in a night club a long time ago as a bartender when I noticed my coworker (female) spiked a drink. I reported her to my boss and she was fired and arrested. My understanding that it's rare for women to do this to one another. But turned out she spiked the drink of the guy's girlfriend that had been cheating with. She was caught on camera and arrested."

doctorduckylucky

"Something everyone should do to everyone. Always ask others if they would like a refill when you intend to get one yourself. That is just good manners"

gamertaggg

Woof...Swing And A Miss, Man

"Listening."

"When I told my ex that an old man grabbed my thigh in the bus he just heard what I said, laughed about it and continued talking about Black Sabbath."

annnnnnnnnnnnniiiii

"It's good to know that this is all that is being asked of me. And I mean this in a good way."

"My girlfriend works in an industry dominated by men with god complexes that objectify her all the time, and she has come to me and told me about all of it since we've gotten to know each other."

"It incenses me but I feel helpless to do anything besides hear her out, believe her, agree that they are chauvinist pigs and give her a hug. I've been concerned that there's more I should be doing, but it's nice to hear that apparently what I've already been doing is helping."

HappyLittleRadishes

"Sometimes i need guys to just be listeners and not fixers. When i have a problem, my husband always wants to go into fix it mode, but sometimes the fix is just sitting quietly and holding me or letting me cry it out. Sometimes it's nice when they just agree that becky from sales is a b-tch instead of offering 101 ways to get along with the b-tch at work."

engineerkoala

Physical intimacy is tricky, but necessary, for any meaningful relationship. There is no one thing you can do to please everyone, but with a little time, and a lot of listening, you'll know the things they want in due time.

All Dogs Everywhere Vouch For This Act Of Love

"Head scratches when I'm laying down or sitting on the couch."

messicanamerican

"I'm Brazilian and we have a specific word for that. It's "cafuné". We do that a lot here (usually between lovers, or parents and their children)"

Playful_Chip

Seriously. The LEAST You Could Do.

"Putting their phone away during quality time, especially at the beginning. It shows they're focusing on you and the conversation/activity, and I think it's the ultimate sign of effort."

ColorblindRevolution

"I completely agree except for "the ultimate sign of effort". It's honestly the least sign of effort in my opinion. If you're on a date with someone, especially early on, and they can't even be bothered putting their phone away then that's it over as far as I'm concerned."

ericisalargeegg

No Hesitation

"Introduce me to people immediately (my fiancé always does this and I wish more partners did). If he knows them, it's always "hey X, this is my fiancé Y" and if he's just meeting them too, it's "hi I'm X and this is my fiancé Y" It immediately welcomes me into the conversation (no awkward standing around while they talk), let's people know we're together, and is helpful because I can be shy/reserved."

_tokyosmoke_

After all this, is there really anything better than just a straight up hug at the end of a rough day?

Get In Here, Man

"Just a hug ..... it's so magical sometimes... :,)"

Xiio0o

"Can I just say its interesting how both this question, and the gender-swapped version on this subreddit almost always contain multiple answers of "can't we just hug more?"

"LETS HUG MORE. I'M COMPLETELY ON BOARD."

Brotherbeam

"Platonic intimacy in general should be more common. There is a correlation between depression and being single"

RHCube

We're All More Than Our Looks

"If you're complimenting a girl, instead of complimenting her looks (anything physical), give her a small complement about a part of her personality. goes farther than you would think"

Softconcrete579

"One of my male coworkers once complimented my thought process. He said that I approached things philosophically."

"And I have never ever ever ever forgotten that compliment. It pleased the hell out of me."

"The best part was that it was genuine and I know it was because he never once tried to hit on me. He wasn't trying flattery to get my attention."

"That is the one and only time a dude has offered a compliment(no strings attached) that wasn't about my appearance."

Kosmic_Kraken

Keep It Professional

"For guys who are friends/associates who are seeking Platonic relationships- I like when you include my boyfriend in a conversation that you have with me. It immediately shows that you want to be friendly to both of us, and minimizes any concerns I have about your potential interest in me (because it comes across as b-tchy if I say "I have a boyfriend," when I don't know your intentions)."

"More importantly, my boyfriend also likes friendship. We can all do friendship together."

aliteralbagof_d-cks

"This for real! The guy friends I work with will practically hit on my hubby whenever he comes around 😂"

"I tend to be a bit wary of the guys who try to get close to me, but avoid my husband like the plague. (We work same facility, different areas)"

AnEpicHibiscus

Be respectful. Be attentive. Really listen.

These aren't foreign actions to take. They're just showing the women in your life you want to try your best. That's what these women want, at least.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from @realprogressive11's TikTok video
@realprogressive11/TikTok

Rural Michigan Woman Speaks Out About 'Dystopian' Grocery Costs In Eye-Opening Video

TikToker @realprogressive11, a rural Michigan resident, is tired of dancing around the subject and is ready to call it like it is: according to her, grocery shopping has become a "dystopian" experience.

And based on other TikTokers' experiences, this isn't specific to Michigan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor
Daily Beast/Obsessed; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor

After years of speculation, the tea has finally been spilled about who inspired Elijah Krantz and Dill Harcourt's relationship.

In case you missed it, the hit TV show Girls aired for six seasons from 2012 to 2017, and followed the lives of four young women making their way through early romance and career moves in New York City.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tom Holland and Zendaya
Pablo Cuadra/WireImage/Getty Images

Tom Holland Just Confirmed The Months-Long Rumors That He And Zendaya Got Married—And His Comments Have Fans Swooning

American actor and singer Zendaya and British actor and dancer Tom Holland first met in 2016 during the screen test and casting process for their roles in the 2017 Marvel made/Sony approved movie Spider-Man: Homecoming. The pair, both born in 1996, were successful child actors transitioning into adults, but still playing teens on camera.

They became fast friends, but didn't begin dating until sometime later, even if fans thought the attraction happened much sooner. They finally confirmed their relationship in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Billy Porter; Elisabeth Hasselbeck
CBS Mornings

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is Getting Some Major Side-Eye After Making Bizarre Dig At Billy Porter During Interview

Conservative TV host Elisabeth Hasselbeck first gained public notice in 2001 as a contestant on the second season of the CBS reality show Survivor, then she furthered her fame by marrying NFL player Tim Hasselbeck the following year.

After that, she became the conservative voice on The View for a decade (2003-2013), frequently clashing with her co-hosts and garnering animosity from viewers. Portraying herself as a trad-wife while in reality being a working mother, her next stint was on Fox News' Fox & Friends from 2013 to 2015 before being replaced by Sean Hannity paramour Ainsley Earhardt.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of JD Vance and Whoopi Goldberg
Fox News; The View

JD Vance Ripped After Running To Fox News To Whine About Whoopi Goldberg Supposedly Calling Him 'Racist' On 'The View'

Vice President JD Vance was criticized after he complained on Fox News that The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg had called him a "racist" during his appearance on the program.

While on The View, Vance sidestepped a question from Goldberg about concerns that the Trump administration was marginalizing Black history and communities.

Keep ReadingShow less