Dating

How to Communicate Your Needs in a Relationship

by Brett & Kate McKay

As we’ve discussed before, many men these days have trouble being assertive. One of the things these “Nice Guys” struggle with is communicating their needs to others. Because they shy away from conflict, and don’t want to trouble or inconvenience others, they constantly let other people’s needs supersede their own, and they find it difficult [...]

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The Least Expensive & Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Gift Ever: DIY Penny Charm Bracelet

by Brett

PSA: Valentine’s Day is next week. Are you looking for a thoughtful gift idea for the occasion that goes beyond the usual chocolates, flowers, and plush teddy bear holding a satin heart, but don’t want to plunk down a 15-carat wad of cash? Well, I’ve got you covered. Today I’ll share how to make one of the [...]

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14 Red Flags to Look Out for in a Relationship

by Brett & Kate McKay

You’ve probably had a friend who started dating a woman that really made you scratch your head. She was flaky, possessive, and high-drama. Everyone could see that the gal was toxic and really bringing your buddy down…everyone, that is, except your buddy. You tell yourself, “That would never happen to me.” But then it does. [...]

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Too Seldom Is Heard an Encouraging Word: Why and How to Offer More Compliments

by Brett & Kate McKay

“Idle words are characterless and die upon utterance. Evil words rankle for a while, make contentions, and then die. But the hopeful, kind, cheering word sinks into a man’s heart and goes on bearing fruit forever. How many beautiful written words—words in book and song and story—are still inspiring men and making the world fragrant [...]

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Dating Advice from 1944: How to Win Over Her Family

by Brett & Kate McKay

Editor’s note: Awhile ago, I told you all about a little book of dating advice from 1944 that I bought after seeing it advertised in the back of one of my old men’s magazines. The section I shared last time on “How to Pick Your Right Girl” was definitely the choicest part of the book, [...]

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Listen Up! Part III: Crafting Good Questions and Responses

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tony Valdes. As this series on listening comes to a close (see part 1 and part 2), we should consider a few things in terms of the transition from listener to speaker. When the time comes for the roles to shift, our responses to the messages of [...]

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Listen Up! Part II: 15 Techniques to Improve Our Listening

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tony Valdes. Welcome back to our three-part series on becoming better listeners. In the previous installment, we established that listening is a desirable ability to have as men. But how can we practically begin to exercise this ability and develop it in ourselves? There are active steps [...]

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Listen Up! Part I: Learning the Manly Skill of Paying Attention

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tony Valdes. As part of earning my bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and communications I elected to take SPC 3350, a college course titled “Listening,” taught by the forebodingly named Dr. Paine. I’ll admit that I was skeptical when I sat down on the first day of class. [...]

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Beware The Tit for Tat Trap

by Brett & Kate McKay

As we talked about in a previous post, Kate and I have what might be termed a “Marriage Master Mind.” We share everything just about equally—the blog, parenting, household chores, and so on. We get along really well, especially for people who spend practically 24/7 together and have to balance issues involving both work and [...]

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A Young Man’s Guide to Prom

by Brett & Kate McKay

It’s prom season here in the United States. Millions of high school students will be taking part in this springtime ritual that got its start in the 1890s in the Northeast. Since then, every April young people have been donning tuxedos and dresses to eat, dance, and have a good time. Some of my best [...]

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Dating Advice from 1944: How to Pick Your Right Girl

by Brett & Kate McKay

In one of the old men’s magazines I have in my collection, I spotted an ad for a book called How to Get Along with Girls. Curious on what sort of dating advice was dispensed in 1944 when the book was published, I wanted to get my hands on it. The ad said all I needed to [...]

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Look ‘Em in the Eye: Part II – How to Make Eye Contact the Right Way in Life, Business, and Love

by Brett & Kate McKay

In our first post in this two-part series on eye contact, we discussed the importance of eye contact and some of the reasons we don’t always feel comfortable looking someone in the eye. But just because eye contact is a great thing and a vital tool for improving the quality of all your face-to-face interactions [...]

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Look ‘Em in the Eye: Part I – The Importance of Eye Contact

by Brett & Kate McKay

How often have you talked with another guy who never looked you in the eye during the entire length of the conversation? Or perhaps he did meet your gaze a few times, but then his eyes shifted back to his shoes or to some point off in the distance. I’d like to say that the [...]

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A Resolution for Romance: The 52 Loves Notes Challenge

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Joshua Gordon. One of the marks of being a great man is the ability to love the same woman for over 50 years. That’s manly–hands down. It’s something that the airbrushed elite of our day can’t seem to figure out. It’s something that many in my generation [...]

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10 Great Fall Date Ideas

by Brett & Kate McKay

The spring has always been associated with romance–the blossoming flowers supposedly mirroring the spate of budding new loves. But in my opinion, the holidays and the fall are the most romantic times of year. Maybe it’s because the fall is my favorite season, maybe it’s because I love donning sweaters again and all things pumpkin-spiced [...]

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Romantic Love Can Last

by Brett & Kate McKay

Love. Whether in the form of poems, moony songs, philosophical treatises, romantic notes, or angry letters, no aspect of human life has had quite so much ink spilled over it. It has since time immemorial been a driving force of life, and for just as long remained utterly mysterious, an experience that could be mused [...]

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10 Cheap Date Ideas She’ll Actually Love

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Joe Weber of Dappered.com. “’Cause I don’t care too… much for money, money can’t buy me love“ – The Beatles If you’ve decided to take on the challenge of dating women instead of simply hanging out with them, there’s both good news and bad news. The bad [...]

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The Ins and Outs of Opening a Door for a Woman

by Brett & Kate McKay

Readers email us surprisingly often with questions about opening doors for women. AoM readers are interested in being gentlemen and obviously understand the basics of this traditional act of chivalry: when you get to a door before a lady, you should open it for her. But they wonder about scenarios where the set-up isn’t as [...]

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The Art of Conversation: How to Avoid Conversational Narcissism

by Brett & Kate McKay

Last month I met up with an old friend I hadn’t seen in forever to have lunch. Having both read and written about how to be an effective and charismatic conversationalist, I followed the old dictum of listening more than talking and asking the other person engaging questions about themselves. This is supposed to charm [...]

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