4 Times He's Clueless--and Craves Your Advice.(how to give someone advice without hurting his feelings)(Brief Article)

Give him direction without drop-kicking his ego.

* To guys, appearing anything but confident and in charge equals looking like a wuss. Even when we desperately need your help, we'd rather remain befuddled than ask. But there are certain scenarios when it's acceptable to give your man a hand--but only if you play it like a pro.

Between the Sheets

A dude fears that if he doesn't know exactly how and when to push every erogenous button on your body, you'll think he's an inexperienced geek. "So ask us!" you say. But it's not that simple. "I suspect half of what I'm doing is probably wrong, but asking her is like putting my man-hood on the chopping block," admits Raymond [*], 23.

So give your guy a break and just spill your preferences. Whisper instructions phrased as improvements on what he's doing. Try "That feels amazing, and I like it even more when you touch me here." That way, you're teaching him and increasing his stud status. Trust me, he'll thank you.

During a Fight

Even the most enlightened guys are emotionally ally and mentally challenged when it comes to con confrontations. But he's probably looking for a little coaching on how to turn a fight into a forum for him to open up about his feelings. Try repeating his statements back to him, but force him to delve deeper by prefacing them with "What did you mean when you said..." "Half the time, I'm not even sure why I'm upset," says Jim, 28. "It's not until she throws it back at me that I really have to think about the origin of the problem."