BC-LR-MAGLOVE:MCT _ lifestyle (650 words)
Magazine scene: Rawr! Take your cues from animal mating rituals
By Dagny Leonard
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
(MCT)
ANIMAL INSTINCT
We are usually encouraged to be civilized _ to downplay our animal instincts in favor of more subdued “human” behavior. But sometimes it just might serve you better to let out the animal in you. Dave Salmoni, star of the Animal Planet special “Into the Pride,” shares eight examples from his animal experience of when it’s actually good to tap into your wild side, and we’ve got a few of them here.
When your man gets moody _ Salmoni said that male lions are built for fighting, no provocation needed. When a lioness sees her male is in a mood, she moves the pride somewhere else until the male calms down. Humans can take a cue from lions in this respect. Salmoni said that when your guy is in a bad mood, instead of addressing it immediately, it’s much better to give him a little breathing room first.
When you want him to want you _ When a tigress in heat sees the male she wants, she knows what she is doing. She roars, rubs against him, and runs away immediately after grabbing his attention. Needless to say, the male is intrigued. Salmoni says human females can take a page out of the tigress book: send him signals that you’re interested, and then let him know that you’ll be busy for the next week. Guys, Salmoni said, like the thrill of the chase.
When you’re looking to meet guys _ In the wild, animals do their hunting in packs. Chasing down prey is advantageous when in a group, so why not use the same idea on the manhunt? Use your outgoing friend to break the ice with a guy you’re interested in, or use your guy friends to your advantage by offering them a free drink if they lure the cutie across the room into conversation for you.
FRIENDS WITHOUT BENEFITS
So your guy friend is into you, and your boyfriend isn’t a happy camper. You may think you’re boyfriend’s overreacting and that there’s no problem hanging out with your friend as usual, but the real loser in this situation is the friend. Cosmopolitan’s guy guru Jonathan Small said that you need to set boundaries. Stringing a guy along is the worst thing you can do to him. And when you hang out, make sure you don’t talk about any relationship problems _ that might give him false hope or incentive to pursue you.
FOUR LITTLE WORDS
It has happened countless times _ guy cheats on girlfriend or wife. Even if the “other woman” is no competition, somehow guy is lured into cheating. But how does she do it? Cosmopolitan’s August issue suggests that maybe something as simple as four little words, “you are so hot,” is enough to do the trick. Phrases like this tap into his insecure side. Cosmo says that guys yearn for attention and compliments just as much as girls do, even though they may not receive them nearly as often. So you may not like feeling like you’re feeding his ego, but it may be just what he needs. If he’s used to hearing it from you, he’s likely to not be as affected when he hears it from someone else, so you can keep those “other women” at safely at bay.
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(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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