The Masculine in Relationship: A Blueprint for Inspiring the Trust, Lust, and Devotion of a Strong Woman

I enjoyed reading this book. It contained some great wisdom for men about women -- how to understand them, how to have an enjoyable relationship with women.My big takeaway from the book is women crave a man's masculine leadership. Sadly, our society has done its best to stamp out masculine leadership (e.g. "toxic masculinity" and all that nonsense).Women have become unhappy without their man exercising masculine leadership, although they themselves could never articulate this. Women's unhappiness causes them to act out and sabotage. Most men today try to placate which just makes it worse. It's not ok to say all this out loud in our PC post-feminist world, so Youngblood bends over backwards to inoculate himself against the PC thought police when he explains again and again this is not a domineering masculinity and purely consensual, lol.A second takeaway is a man should stand tall and learn to be confident in himself and his opinions. So what if your wife disagrees with you? Never apologize for your opinion, which ironically increases her attraction to you.Youngblood says building confidence is like building muscle -- it takes exercise and repetition. He gives several clear actions men can take to practice and change their inner state to have more confidence.I liked his example of crossing the street -- an unconfident, anxious man in a crosswalk sees a car coming and hurries along, not wanting to inconvenience the driver. A confident man not afraid to exist walks at his own pace, does not speed up if he sees a car coming -- after all, he knows he has a right to the crosswalk and is comfortable exercising it. It's not arrogant, just a confidence in existing. Youngblood gives more every day examples like this that men can use to strengthen the confidence of their "inner voice."Some of the quotes I found meaningful:Never ask what she wants and give to her. It's placating and will lead to her holding you in contempt:"So, remember this: asking your woman what she wants and giving it to her is the opposite of Masculine leadership."On the importance of leading a woman:"Tango works the same way. It is a strong lead-follow dance, but you do not force her body to go where you want. Rather, a good lead will use his body to signal an invitation for her to move in a certain way. He signals, then waits and listens for her bodily response. A skilled lead never forces."This is true, and a good point. It would be stronger if Youngblood mentioned that women must choose to submit to the man for this to work. I've done a lot of dancing. It is outstanding training for learning how to lead women strongly. I also learned that women *love* to be led strongly and confidently. Good women dancers get disappointed, sometimes disgusted if you don't lead them strongly. If I were a relationship coach I'd have all my students learn some form of partner dance and get good at it. Great relationship learnings there.Never apologize for your opinions:"Develop the rock-solid belief that your opinions matter and that your wisdom is sound."Youngblood's book shows men how to become a strong, masculine, leading man that women are attracted to and don't act out on. He gives clear examples of how to change your mental state and do it without apology. Also what NOT to do.Although I found a lot of actionable wisdom in the book, it had gaps. Youngblood talks again and again about "strong women" but never defines what he means. When he writes "strong women" I think he means "career feminist women" like high-powered lawyers, corporate types. Yet not all "high powered" women can be made to "relax into their feminine side" which Youngblood claims is 100% the man's responsibility.The book would be more complete if Youngblood would give advice on how to screen out women who are unable or unwilling to "relax into their feminine and follow the masculine." Men are much better off identifying such women and avoiding relationships with them in the first place.

This book is so true from the start to the finish. It will open your eyes to a new perspective on yourself and your role in your relationship. I recommend it to everyone!

Read 105 pages the first day of receipt. Youngblood does a nice job of explaining the emotions of a woman and how her emotions should be met by a man. It instills hope into me seeing men take initiative to learn and teach about women and how to get along with us. I’m currently going through heartbreak because a lot of my needs weren’t met. I started to question myself and my needs. I started to think I was asking for too much. This book reassured me that it’s possible and expected to have a woman’s especially, emotional needs fully met. I wanted insight on what men are being taught and coached on because after years of neglect, I didn’t know if I had the right idea of a man’s role until I was reassured by this book.

This book has opened my eyes about my self in both negative and positive ways. If your woman is giving you the cold shoulder and just being crazy, you need this book. Because she isn't crazy and this book explains that.

Thanks GS for writing this book for me. I feel like you wrote it just for me even though we have never met.

I am a heterosexual, feminine-essenced, married woman. I bought this book for my husband and left it on his nightstand because I feel we need to work on our polarity. (Yes, I know, that was me being in my masculine energy by providing direction and attempting to problem solve. LOL!) I decided to read the book myself, (I resisted dog-earring pages), and, having read a few other books on polarity, I feel this one is the best. Youngblood really understands the full range of feminine-essenced women and why they act the way they do. He clarified for me why I often feel frustrated with things my man does or doesn't do and why sometimes things just feel off to me. My frustration primarily comes from a lack of masculine leadership. Of course, I also have a responsibility when we're together, to relax into my feminine, but I can't do that unless there is someone in the partnership owning the masculine role. That is what Youngblood articulates better than anyone. Feminine expression needs something to orient around, to grasp onto, to guide it. The masculine needs to initiate the polarity. He says more than once, "You may or may not be the problem, but you are the solution". The masculine, as the leader and initiator, is responsible for creating the polarity. The feminine then follows his lead into her feminine.This book is not a right-wing, throwback to a 1950's view of the man as the domineering boss of the family, nor is it about men and women being polarized in the bedroom but gender-neutral in the rest of their lives. For me, the polarity Youngblood proposes is just right - fair to each partner and natural to their true essence.This book is not just about concepts. There is clear and succinct explanation of concepts, but it doesn't stop there. Many scenarios are described and actual directions and exercises for changing both mind and body to transform limp masculine leadership are given. It is also not superficial. It's about deep transformation into being the man a woman wants, the world wants, and what a masculine-essenced man probably wants for himself, but may not be aware of. It is both comprehensive and practical at the same time.If applied, the 'blueprint' and the tools Youngblood describes would, I imagine, support any masculine-essenced man in reaching his potential, not only in relationship with a woman, but in every aspect of his life, and allow him to be a more fulfilled man. While there is a very important chapter on masculine leadership in sex, it is not the focus of the book. A man can lead very well in the bedroom, but if he drops the ball in every other aspect of his life, he is not being a masculine leader. This book is about how men, sometimes unknowingly, aren't in their masculine integrity in their everyday lives, which includes their relationships, and how to correct this.I'd love it if someone would write an analogous book of the same caliber for women. Meanwhile, I really hope my husband reads this book. Wish me luck!

This book is definitely a game changer. Insights on women and how men react (badly) to them in conflict when emotions are high, and how to make healthy positive changes to respond with strength. This book will change your marriage if you follow the principles outlined in the book.

This book is David Deida on steroids. I've read 10 of these and this the best, full stop. I went through a very difficult incident while reading the book and stepped into this frame. It's early but I have never showed up like this before and I believe I just catalyzed a larger change for the relationship. The trust of the book becomes evident the second you put it to work.

The author has poured in all his life's work. A great book to read and follow. Thank you for changing my life

This book brings together many concepts I got in bits and pieces through various readings, seminars and manwork into a truly practical guide of behaviour (and perspective) changes you can live by. Fabulous work, thanks Youngblood!

Now, this is the most practical book I have read so far on being a man in relationship with a woman.Some key points which really stand out for me are; first of all, Youngblood’s contention that this relationship business is not a zero sums game.One of the things that drew me from the get go are the words in the subtitle ‘A Blueprint for inspiring the trust, love and devotion of a strong woman’. The words; ‘of a strong woman’ are resonant with me because I count myself privileged to be married to a woman who embodies this definition.This does not intimidate me, ‘I also am a strong man’, on the contrary the strength and resilience in my woman both attracts and inspires me.But, I guess and this is the rub, I am not immune to the vicissitudes and vagaries of relational complexity. Heck, I’ve been married 25 years, been with my woman since I was 17, raised 4 children, escaped a cult, lost my religion, made money, lost money. Experienced failure and setback, picked myself up again – and again, yes, and again.And when life is real, as I know it is for you too, if your honest and your embracing the journey with a view to try and achieve some sense of success from this game of life before you throw in the towel, you need real answers. So books like GS Youngblood’s ‘The Masculine in Relationship’ are a tremendous asset to add to your arsenal in the fight for your ‘best life now’.GS set’s out three things which he breaks down in a clear and concise insightful manner throughout this book that can make a huge difference in your interaction with the woman in your world. They are to learn to ‘respond as opposed to react’, – ‘to provide structure’ and – ‘too create safety’.The capacity for this is within reach for any man with a predominant masculine energy. However, it is not what we have been taught by society. In fact, masculine energy has been labelled toxic in some quarters and many masculine men, myself included have been unable to see that our ‘masculinity had any particular validity’.This has resulted in many men of my generation and beyond feeling really, like a spare part in our relationships and families. We may be more human doings than beings, be shouldering immense amounts of pressure and responsibility, but ultimately feel irrelevant in the lives of those most near and dear. This is not a good feeling people, it breeds a tremendous sense of hopelessness and pointlessness, and in and of itself could potentially be a trigger to toxic responses.GS Youngblood’s work therefore wades into this maelstrom with the direction that many of us have been waiting for.On finishing this book, I remember waking up terrified, (you know a books good when it gets you like that). Suddenly aware of my failure, the years of submitting to my ‘assigned’ place as the family spare part. Suddenly I recognised the gift of my masculinity and the asset that it is. I recall picking it off the shelf, blowing the dust of that old thing and re-examining it in a new light. ‘Ah, yes structure, remember when I used to provide structure. Oh, chivalry, lets once more begin to work the neglected muscle of creating safety. (Thank you Mr Youngblood) you reminded me of the gift of masculinity that I have neglected to share with my woman and the world for so long.

Great read. Eye opening about why we do the things we do in our relationships. It is a book that is far more than just pointing out what we do wrong but gives the advice and tools on how to do different and ultimate make our relationships better. Hear the pain not the blame has become my new mantra. Thanks GS