You see women and men through roles that are established and valued by the society for several years. From this vision, the society expects women to be elegant, attractive, delicate, cosy, sensitive, patient, sociable, gentle, generous, understanding, devoted, smiling and that they act accordingly. Society expects men to be strong, handymen, competitive, seductive, confident, protective, resourceful, independent, authoritarian, courageous, ambitious, hard worker and that they act accordingly. These combined characteristics are known as stereotyped gender roles. With a traditional vision of gender roles, your expectations towards each other are clear, but they may limit you in your personal life as well as in your relationship, and also disappoint you. A relationship that is not based on these stereotypical gender roles is rather based on trust, honesty, respect, self-esteem, responsibility, non-threatening behaviour, negotiation and equality. This type of relationship is said to be equal and expands your possibilities and opportunities as a person and as a lover. To put all the chances on your side, open your mind to everything you could be and at all you could do, which is traditionally done by the opposite sex, and thus to have a healthier and more equal relationship.
You perceive that women and men are equal and that people are unique. With this vision, the expectations that you may have with your lover are based on trust, honesty, respect, self-esteem, responsibility, non-threatening behaviour, negotiation and equality. With this approach, you protect yourself from disappointments linked to gender roles that society has established and valued for women and for men. If you are a woman, you feel so compelled to be elegant, seductive, delicate, cosy, sensitive, patient, sociable, gentle, generous, understanding, devoted, smiling and to act accordingly. If you are a man, you feel not forced to be strong, handyman, competitive, seductive, confident, protective, resourceful, independent, authoritarian, courageous, ambitious, hard worker and to act accordingly. Continue to open your mind to all you can be and to what you can do to keep your relationship healthy and equal.
