Because a lot of men have stopped expecting it.
I went through a long season where I didn't feel understood — by my wife, by my friends, by anyone. And after a while, I stopped trying to be understood. I stopped explaining. I stopped sharing. I decided that if people didn't get it, they didn't get it, and I'd just carry it alone.
That's a lonely place to live. And it's a trap, because the less you share, the less anyone can understand. And the less they understand, the more you feel alone. And the more alone you feel, the more you're convinced that no one ever will.
Breaking out of that loop requires something most men aren't willing to do: risk being misunderstood again. Go first. Say the thing. Explain it badly if you have to. Let it be awkward. Let it not land perfectly. And then try again.
I've never met a man who feels understood who didn't first risk being misunderstood. That's the door. There's no way around it.
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