Last night, I was having a conversation with a male friend on how men and women typically react to problems. Tell a woman about your problem (big or small) and she will likely offer you sympathy and a shoulder to lean on. Tell a man about your problem (big or small) and he will likely ofer you possible solutions. This cancause some friction between the sexes, as a woman will also look for sympathy, and a man will likely look for solutions. Do either and/or both, depending on who I am dealing with, and what I think the situation calls for.
My friend, being a guy, wanted to know the point of offering sympathy, rather than trying to solve the problem. The best I could offer was to compare it to Civil War surgery. Yes, the bullet needs to come out, and the bone must be set. However, a little bit of anaesthetic makes the process a lot less painful.
The trick is knowing when soothing is called for (do they just need to vent?) and when is the time to advice. Best case scenario, do a little of both. Maybe we'll all be a bit happier.
