When I am working with couples, the men may talk a lot about wanting to be appreciated and having a partner who can help them; they seem to want loyalty and they want to engage in activities like hiking or biking, or they want women to be at their side on their journey through life toward success. Men sometimes want to solve a problem or fix something, while women may want to feel acknowledged and validated. Many women talk about connection and being cherished: they want to know they can count on their partner to be there for them.
While men and women can value and engage in mutual activities, they sometimes have preferential differences. Many women feel closer and validated through communication, dialogue and intimate sharing of experience, emotional content and personal perspectives. Some men find such sharing and involvement uncomfortable, or even overwhelming. (Of course, there are many couples for whom the exact opposite is true.)