That's a girl thing

You've seen it. Any time one girl gets up from the table or leaves the bar, headed for the ladies room, she will create a following. What is it about going to the bathroom that makes girls feel they need the companionship of others? We need our friends to approve our outfit, boyfriend, choice of drink, etc. Then I realized: this isn't just a girl thing.

I always thought that when girls go to the bathroom in herds or spend countless hours talking about relationships that we must be innately different than the male species. However, I am beginning to realize that guys are creatures of the same sort. They rely on the opinions of their buddies equally as much as girls do, especially when it comes to relationships.

I think the major difference is that guys are, at least in part, in denial of this occurrence. Maybe I shouldn't speak in too many generalities, but it has been my experience that guys rely heavily on the opinions of their friends about the same things that girls do. If a guy starts dating someone new and she doesn't get along with his friends, it probably isn't going to work out. The situation is pretty much the same for girls.

Groups of friends are usually friends because they have common interests and lifestyles. If only one member of the group is in a relationship, regardless of sex, his or her feelings will be affected by that situation.

It's also hard when two good friends are in relationships and one of the relationships ends. Guys will be heavily swayed by their buddy's new-found freedom.

We are all influenced by our friends' opinions and actions; however, I think that girls get criticized more vehemently about it because they do it more openly. I've known plenty of girls who have used the "my friends don't think I should date you" excuse to get out of a relationship. On the other hand, I feel like guys will fight the idea that their friends could have that kind of impact on their lives.

In the end, I think guys and girls are more similar than we like to stereotype them to be. There is a stigma that guys are such-and-such, and girls are, well, girls … when really I think it is just how we go about our actions that make us different, not the actions inherently.

This writer can be reached at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com