I keep asking, who told men that they need to be tough to be men?
Okay.
You need to be tough.
But who told you that toughness means that you cannot be vulnerable?
Who told you that you cannot be a strong man and have someone hold you sometimes?
This world has equated toughness with masculinity for too long.
And it was never so at the beginning.
Men were not created to be trees—without emotions and feelings.
It is very easy to overlook the softer, more vulnerable sides of men.
And contrary to what this stereotype suggests, men can be soft.
They have their unique ways of showing love, care, and tenderness to the women they hold dear.
Even when they may come subtly, these gestures are usually filled with many meanings and emotions.
It is such a beautiful thing to see a man show his soft side to his woman.
Today, we’ll look at 7 ways men express their softer side to the women they love, ways that demonstrate depth and emotional connection in their relationships.
7 Heartfelt Ways Men Reveal Their Gentle Side to the Women They Adore
1. Acts of Service
One of the most common ways men show their soft side is through acts of service.
If a man loves you, you won’t need to be told.
He’ll drop his pride and ego and do everything to ensure you are comfortable.
It doesn’t matter if you need him to fix something around the house, or help with errands, he’ll do them without hesitation.
These gestures may feel small, but they show how caring and thoughtful men can be when they’re in love.
Men usually express love by ensuring that the woman they care about feels supported and comfortable in her daily life.
For them, it’s more of actions than words.
2. Affectionate Touch
Physical touch is a universal love language, but we find that “tough” men have no business using it as their love language, even in their relationships.
Because of this, people find it strange when a man shows physical affection to their partners.
I love to see when a man is so in love with his woman that he does not hide his affection for her, even in public.
All that holding of hands, a soft brush of his hand against her face, or pulling her in for a warm hug.
Whenever I see these things, I see nothing but a man who cares deeply for his woman.
When a man loves a woman, these touches become natural expressions of his feelings, targeted at making her feel safe and loved.
3. Being Protective Without Being Controlling
It is one thing to be protective of someone, and it is another thing to be controlling.
And there’s a real line between protection and control.
We’ve seen men exert control over their partners to be protective.
And it is common among men.
But a good man is intentional about drawing the line between protection and control.
As much as he is protective of his partner, he tries everything possible not to become too controlling.
He is concerned for her well-being, checks in on her, and steps up in situations where he feels she needs support.
He protects her in love and not in the need for dominance.
So she doesn’t feel suffocated with the love; there’s breathing space, and she feels love and respect.
4. Listening Attentively
I’ve seen men say absurd things like, “I’m too busy working for money for my woman. I don’t have time to sit down and listen to her ramblings.”
I’ve heard many absurd things, but this one tops them all.
What kind of money are you giving to a woman to whom you’re not attentive?
How would you even know how much money she needs or what she needs the money for if you’re not listening to her?
It amazes me what lengths men will go to to maintain their “toughness.”
But when a man genuinely invests in a woman, he has no business being a strong man.
He pays attention to her.
When she speaks, he listens.
Then, he goes on to provide thoughtful responses.
You can tell he values her thoughts, opinions, and ideas just by how he listens to her.
5. Expressing Emotional Vulnerability
It’s no secret that society places a heavy burden on men to suppress their emotions.
“Don’t cry, you’re a man.”
A lot of men have had to suppress their emotions and die in their misery because they were not allowed to express their emotions.
But we discovered that this rule does not bind most men in love.
Once a man falls in love, he is more likely to show her his vulnerable sides.
He will share his fears, insecurities, and past experiences—especially those currently affecting them.
She’ll see all his tears, fears, joy, pain, etc.
He’ll be before her as an open book, hiding nothing from her.
When he does this, he’s not only trusting you with his emotions, but he’s also showing you a side of himself that many may never see.
6. Making Sacrifices
I don’t know what love is love without sacrifice.
From the beginning of the age to the current day, people have not stopped making sacrifices for the ones they love.
Some people have even made sacrifices to the point of death.
So, if you want to love, you must sacrifice.
Men who are genuinely invested in a relationship with their women will make sacrifices to ensure their happiness and well-being.
It doesn’t have to be sacrifices to the point of death, but he’ll sacrifice his time, adjust plans, and make compromises on something he cares about, just to show his willingness to put her needs above his own.
Everybody wants to have convenient love, which never works for any successful relationship.
It is his sacrifices, no matter how big or small, that prove how fiercely his love and commitment to her are.
7. Showing Respect
I was in a place where I overheard some men say that respecting a woman is a sign of weakness for men, and they cannot stoop so low to do a thing like that.
I felt terrible for them.
Whoever gave them that mindset has done them a great disfavor.
At the core of every healthy relationship is respect.
Men show their softer side by respecting the boundaries, feelings, and values of the woman they love.
And this is very valid, because if other men think that respecting a woman is a weakness, then this is a clear case of a man shutting out other men’s opinion of him just to show wholesome love to his woman.
You’ll see this respect manifest in the way he communicates, the way he handles conflicts, and the way he respects her independence.
We’re talking about men showing their soft side to the women they love.
We’re not talking about men losing themselves in a relationship or becoming less of a man.
We’re not also talking about all that grand display of romantic gestures or grand display of affection.
We’re only talking about men who have chosen to embrace the beauty in their vulnerability and agree that showing vulnerability is not a sign of weakness in men.
When a man is truly in love, his softer side becomes integral to the relationship, creating a space where both partners can feel cherished and emotionally fulfilled.