The Sister Effect

Six years ago, I dated this guy who was extremely close with his mom, grandma, and two sisters. I can't say much for him, but the females in his family, namely his grandma, were amazingly strong, independent women! Evidently, they rubbed off on him. Early into our relationship, I learned that when it came to dating, my ex had a distinct advantage over most men I'd met. What was different? He'd been raised in an estrogen-driven household so he'd had a lifetime of first-hand female interaction.

Overall, he had a much better understanding of women -- how they think, act, talk, and even walk. Relaxed and comfortable, he knew how to have a non-awkward conversation with a member of the opposite sex. He was a flirt. He graciously walked that fine line between charming and cheesy. He knew how to deliver a compliment without resorting to cliché pick-up lines. He was concerned with his physical appearance, particularly in terms of clothes and hair, which sounds superficial, but on the contrary, demonstrated he cared simply because he knew women cared about that sort of thing. I won't go into weight for that is an entirely different issue, but he was keenly aware of things a guy could say or do to attract women, which really surprised me. Of course, you take the good with the bad. He was, by no means, the perfect guy, but he was genuine; I was drawn to that.

Back to my original thought: in my experience, it seems that men with sisters have an edge over the competition when it comes to dealing with women.