Women never forget, but Men need to be told again and again

 A man’s mind is like a filing cabinet; anything spoken to him he files away for later retrieval. Just because he doesn’t act on it immediately does not mean he has forgotten or ignored what he was told. He has simply filed it away. That’s why it so often seems as though a man needs to be told or reminded again and again. A woman’s mind is like a computer that never forgets anything, but keeps it ready for immediate recall on demand. Women never forget anything they say to a man or anything that a man says to them, and they also make sure that he doesn’t forget.

Either of these qualities may be negative or positive depending on the situation. Because they tend to receive things impersonally, men are more apt to overlook or forget disparaging comments made by them or to them. Generally, men are less prone to hold a grudge. However, on the negative side, this “forgetfulness” can cause men to become terribly insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of their wives and children.

Because a woman receives everything emotionally and holds words and feelings close to her heart, she is naturally more sensitive and responsive to the needs she sees around her. On the down side, a woman’s tendency to remember everything and take everything personally can cause her to allow a hurt or an insult or an offense to fester and grow for weeks, months, and even years, creating continual stress, anger, and heartache.

How can husbands and wives deal with these differences effectively in their relationships? Husbands must be careful what they say and how they say it, remembering the wise counsel of the Book of Proverbs: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1). Wives should temper their remembering with grace, in accordance with the words of Paul: “[Love] is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5b).