Mentally & Emotionally Immature Men Almost Always Have 1 Of 7 Excuses For Their Bad Behavior
dabyki.nadya / Shutterstock Immature men seem to somehow be incredibly gifted at making excuses. They may not know how to take accountability, but they can always find a way to spin a story in a way that makes it seem like they’re perfect.
The reality is, if they apologize and change their behavior, everyone could move on. But instead, mentally and emotionally immature men are more likely to make one of these excuses in an attempt to get out of any true responsibility.
Men who are mentally and emotionally immature almost always use one of these excuses to explain away their bad behavior
1. "You're just sensitive"
Harvard psychologist Dr. Courtney Warren explains that “It’s hard for people with narcissistic traits to empathize with others. As a result, they rarely see the other person in a relationship as an independent individual with their own thoughts, feelings and experiences.”
This applies to most immature men. They don’t want to take accountability for fear of looking bad, so they will make it seem like your feelings are your fault.
2. "Everyone does it"
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Eva M. Krockow, PhD, explains that it's a natural human instinct to want to follow crowds, noting that “This so-called ‘herding’ is easy, appears to offer protection, and may improve one’s reputation.”
However, this type of thinking can also cause problems. The issue is that herding can lead to poor decision-making. If a man thinks he can get away with behaving a certain way just because it's what all of his friends do, all he is doing is adding himself to the long lineup of men who've treated women badly, which isn't particularly impressive.
3. "Boys will be boys"
This is another classic phrase that does nothing but diminish hurtful actions. Immature men believe that it is OK to write off their bad behavior as human nature, but this herd-like mentality is what makes men feel like they are allowed to do whatever they want.
In reality, they should be apologizing, but an immature man never wants to apologize because he's more concerned about protecting his ego and reputation.
4. "I didn’t know…"
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Ah, the classic feigning ignorance move. Writer Lili Loofbourow explains how men use the excuse that they didn't know in order to get away with messed-up behavior. She calls these types of men male bumblers.
The reality is, they know. Like 99% of the time, they know. And if they genuinely didn’t know, then they will apologize for it and try to learn from their mistake.
5. "I forgot"
This one is such an annoying excuse. They’re always forgetting a conversation that you had with them or an activity you had planned.
Unfortunately, this one can be easy to believe because we all forget things from time to time. But if it becomes a constant pattern, then that means he needs to grow up.
6. "I didn’t mean it that way"
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Sure, maybe he didn’t. But that’s why he should apologize. Elizabeth Scott, PhD, explains that “Apologizing can strengthen relationships and heal hurt feelings. A sincere apology can rebuild trust and show that you care about the other person's feelings.”
“Even though it can be hard to say sorry," she continues, "learning to apologize can reduce conflict and help people forgive.”
Not all immature men are necessarily bad people, but they do need to learn how to apologize in order to mend a relationship.
7. "I was stressed"
We all get stressed. Doesn’t mean we need to take it out on the people we care about. The Centers for Disease Control explains that there are many healthy ways to alleviate stress, such as taking breaks from your phone, stretching, journaling, spending time outside or with people you love.
That said, if a man Isn't doing any of these and is taking it out on you, maybe that’s a sign of what kind of person he is. It’s not your job to fix him.
Sophie Bagheri is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and theatre who covers lifestyle topics.
