I Am Giving You "The Silent Treatment"!

Friday, March 12, 2010

I Am Giving You "The Silent Treatment"!

It is a common thing in relationships between males and females for the male to assume that he is in big trouble when given the “silent treatment”. This silent treatment often results in the males friends joking about him being in the dog house again.

This brings me to the thought of the poker table. Of course it does! I compare everything to poker. Let me explain!

A male often feels threatened by the “silent treatment” of his female partner. He doesn’t know what to do, what to say, he has no clue how to make amends. It seems everything he does just backfires in his face. I have witnessed this hundreds of times in the short period I have lived; even in my own relationships. When a woman talks and tells their male partner he is in trouble he is usually in less trouble then if she glares at him and says nothing.

Silent treatment can go on for days, sometimes weeks. I know I am not the only one that has seen this occur in relationships. Women are good at the silent treatment; there is no doubt about that! This blog is one that is a curious one for me also. In a Sarah Jessica Parker type routine (Sex in the City) I have a few questions for myself:

Is a man more threatened at a poker table by a woman who seemingly stares straight through him as she gives him the silent treatment? Or by a woman who talks to or at at him? Also; when a man gets the silent treatment from a woman in a big hand is he likely to fall into the “I don’t know what to do” scenario like when faced with it in a relationship as suggested above? Or have no confusion at all?

One could say that the “silent treatment” man to man is exactly the same, but it isn’t. Human nature makes it completely different. When male friends are arguing, generally 2 things happen from what I have seen. They have it out then and there and get on with life (in poker - talk it all through in their mind or verbally and move along to the next hand) or they throw punches and never combat again unless it is to seek revenge in life (in poker - Make a big bet to see who is the weaker of the two). Let’s rule this type of dealing out with a man facing a woman at a poker table.

A man is going to try to talk it through in their mind but let’s face it, women are hard to read. There are not many men I have met that have said they would rather play a women then a man in a match of poker and the reason isn’t because women are weak (Although of course some are). A question - Would you try and talk your way out of a situation with a partner verbally if you got home at 10am when you are talking to a brick wall? I think not; to get yourself out of trouble you really need to analyse the situation and face it later on. Maybe deal with the silent treatment in the next hand day; against her in poker when you have more of a clue.

Secondly when you are being glared at and ignored are you going to be game enough to throw a punch? Make a big bet at a woman? In life most men wouldn’t throw a punch and if they did they would find their ass in jail. Could they find themselves in mighty big trouble if they threw a big punch bet at a silent woman at a poker table – you betcha!

My advice to women; don’t speak to a man at a poker table during a big hand; he is more likely to think he is in big trouble. I think my personal analysis shows that a man is definitely more intimidated by a woman who doesn’t talk to him. He would rather try and justify the situation verbally then deal with cold and ignorant staring eyes and a closed mouth. I think my first question is answered. Men would rather have a women speak back, its less intimidating.

My second question I think I have also answered. I think that a male is more likely to step into an “I don’t know what to do” situation if a woman doesn’t talk from the moment she is up against him in a hand. To throw a punch could be the end of him, to fold the hand a big mistake also as silent treatment can be merely a bluff to make him feel uncomfortable and do so.

My advice to a man would be to watch a women very carefully from the minute they arrive at their table, if she doesn’t talk there may be some other tiny little tell you see when she is in another hand when the silent treatment is given by her to another man. This of course makes all the difference when it’s your turn to solve the riddle – deadly and dangerous or pure bluff?