Kristin Davis (ACTRESS, SEX AND THE CITY)
Let the woman be right. For once.
Generosity. It doesn't have to be about money. You can cultivate your own brand of it. It can take many forms, and it's one of the most attractive qualities a man can possess. It's a quality every man should possess. It need not be grand. It need not be obvious. What I'm talking about here is a generosity of spirit, like when you champion another person's idea. Or be a cheerleader for someone who's down. Or let someone else take the credit. Or, if you really want to score points, let the woman in your life be right. For once.
The simple gesture of admitting you might—gasp!—be wrong is such a beautiful act of generosity as to immediately end all conflict. Women love this. I once got into a heated argument with a man over which hurricane had damaged the coast of South Carolina in 1989. He was a hurricane buff and took pride in knowing more about them than I did. Being a southern woman, I recognized that tact would dictate that I concede to the gentleman on this issue, but I wasn't in the mood to be polite. So we argued. I said it was Hugo. He said it was Andrew. I said that I was from South Carolina and that I should know. We were at a stalemate. Later in the evening, he apologized, admitting that I might actually be right. And, at that moment, he suddenly became so attractive! I don't know if he really believed I was right or not, but his little gesture increased his appeal tenfold.
And, by the way, it was Hugo. Photograph by Isabel Snyder
|