Men Are More Satisfied by Bromances Than Their Relationships

Young men get more emotional satisfaction out of "bromances"—close, heterosexual friendships with other males—than they do out of romantic relationships with women, according to a small new study published in Men and Masculinities.

To find out how much bromances mattered, the authors of the research surveyed 30 heterosexual men who were second-year college students and had been in a relationship before, or were currently.

They found that every one of them reported having at least one "bromantic" friend—with whom they engaged in "no-boundaries" behaviors like sharing secrets, expressing love or sleeping in the same bed—at some time or another.

Overall, the students reported feeling less judged by their close male friends than by their girlfriends. In the words of one participant, "Tim knows I love listening to Taylor Swift and Beyonce, but I keep that quiet [around my girlfriend] because she would judge me. I feel like I have to be more manly around her."

Men in the study also said it was easier to overcome conflicts and share their emotions—like when a grandparent dies—with their guy friends, and to discuss sensitive health information.

The authors even suggest that these changing cultural norms could even have implications for where and how men choose to live—opting to move in with a male roommate rather than a girlfriend. "Lovers are temporary," one study participant said during his interview. "A bromance can last a lifetime."

▍生词好句

be satisfied by /ˈsatɪsfʌɪd/: 被……满足

be satisfied with: 对……表示满足

bromance /ˈbrəʊmans/: n. 异性恋男性间的深厚情谊

heterosexual /hɛt(ə)rə(ʊ)ˈsɛkʃʊəl/: adj. 异性恋的

masculinity /ˌmaskjʊˈlɪnɪti/: n. 男子气概

be in a relationship: 谈恋爱

report doing sth.: 报道做了某事；反映说做了某事

engage in /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/ /ɛnˈɡeɪdʒ/: 参与 (某项活动)

no-boundaries /ˈbaʊnd(ə)ri/: 没有界限的；亲密的

manly /ˈmanli/: adj. 有雄风的；有男子气概的

implication /ɪmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/: n. 引申义；暗示

opt to do sth.: 选择做某事

temporary /ˈtɛmp(ə)rəri/: adj. 暂时的