Venus and Mars

I know I haven't been very cerebral here the last few weeks, but I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to think about much of anything. But now I'm trying to avoid writing a paper, so the thoughts about everything else in the world are flowing! And there's something I've been piecing together in my mind for a while, but I hadn't really made the connections until just now.

Men and women fall in love differently. Obviously, their different physiologies and hormonal complements make this true, but I don't mean just that. I mean that if you ask a typical couple to describe how they knew that they were in love, you'll probably hear variations on these stories (which I have just fabricated in my head).

Woman: Well, people had been mentioning Joe Blow to me for a while, and everyone seemed to think very highly of him. And then I met him, and I didn't think very much of him at first, but over time I learned what a hard worker he is, and how much he loved his dog Smooshie, and then I saw the way he treated his mother like a queen, and I knew he was the man for me.

Man: There I was, minding my own business at the reference desk, when I looked up and beheld the most beautiful pair of blue eyes I'd ever seen. I was too stupid to realize it at the time, but from that moment everything changed for me and there was no going back. And believe me, I tried.

I've listened to stories like this all my life, and I've just now noticed the difference. Generally speaking, for a woman, falling in love is a decision she makes once she amasses enough positive evidence of a man's worthiness. On the other hand, falling in love is something that happens to a man, and he can never adequately explain why or how, only that it changed him forever. Which do you think is more romantic? And which would you rather do?