[swatcoder]

If that's all it was, there'd be no distinction at all.

Men, broadly, have plenty of "relationships" that they invest themselves in and are extremely loyaly to.

What the study was about, and the discussion is about, is emotional support, and that quality is often not seen (or at least acknowledged) in the intense, loyal, committed, and earnestly worked on relationships that men do form, because its only one quality among a whole plethora that might define a relationship.

[em-bee]

the distinction is that men are raised not to show emotions. so when women are with their female friends, and the need for emotional support arises, they can open up because they were raised to know that this is acceptable, and they can just expect that most of their friends will be supportive.

men's friends on the other hand, don't at all mean that they can open up and get emotional support from them. they have to go an extra step in their friendships to find those that they can get emotional support from.

[watwut]

I get it, but my point was that it is not the frequency of the need that makes the difference. The acts/discussions/whatever that let you find and get comfortable with people able to provide emotional support are happening when no one needs emotional support.

You build emotional support network by building it when you do not need emotional support.