The Mad Momma asked: “Is there any quality more cherishable in a man than gentleness?”

While most of her loyal legion said “of course not”, I wonder what else is there that makes the list.

1. Chivalry: What happened to good old fashioned chivalry? When men opened doors for you, said “after you”? I think they are using feminism as an excuse to behave like yobs. For the record, we like being our own women, yes but it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t appreciate it if the menfolk did stuff like opening the hefty door of a restaurant and letting us in first, rather than watch on while we risk an aneurysm wrestling with the damn thing and then  sail through the open door  first, making us feel like a dwarapalak!

2. Kindness: I like it when men are kind – sort of goes hand in hand with being gentle, I think. There is something about the bloke that helps a doddering old woman cross the road that tugs the heart strings. Giving up seats for preggie / old ladies in crowded buses and train don’t come under this category: they are just purely sensible things to do and shame on you if you don’t!

3. Patience: There’s something irrepressibly charming about the man who is calm and holds onto his patience even when the person opposite is driving him nuts, being inexplicably mental. I’d fully understand if he imagined beating said person black and blue whilst being excruciatingly polite. Even more understandable is taking it out on the poor cushion after said person has exited the scene.

4. Humour: Huge dollops of it. There’s nothing to top someone who can take a joke or see the funny side of any situation. Absolutely!

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