The way in which reciprocity is expressed can also depend on upbringing and personality (Photo:iStock)
Reciprocity is one of the most important aspects of relationships. According to consultant psychologist James Bosse, women are naturally capable of reciprocating love and affection when they feel emotionally safe and valued.
Although attraction develops in different ways for men and women, he explains that a long-term emotional connection is built on consistency, warmth and mutual effort. However, the way in which reciprocity is expressed can also depend on upbringing and personality.
He explains that women raised in environments dominated by masculine energy may struggle to express emotional softness. Feminine energy is essential in relationships because it represents warmth, tenderness, intuition and emotional responsiveness. “When a man identifies that energy, he feeds it with what it needs. Women are created to multiply what they receive,” he says.
In the early stages of attraction, men communicate interest more through behaviour than words since men externalise attraction through actions. James notes that many men are conditioned to prove love practically, which is why gestures sometimes have more meaning than spoken affection. He adds that many men show affection through acts of service, attention, consistency, protection and the desire for proximity.
