You can hold a man better with respect than with love. However, women live in a world colored by emotions - showing her love is both natural and essential for her.
A man's love is founded on his respect for a woman. He admires her self-respect and self-confidence, her attractiveness and her like-ability. He feels good to have captured someone so admirable in her own right. If you gain his respect then his love will follow. He cannot love someone who is not worthy of his admiration.
A woman's love is based on the promises that she sees for brightening her future. His presence confirms her self-esteem. Her self-love blossoms as she more and more shows her love of him, which satisfies her need for self-importance.
By nature both have their fears and weaknesses.
Men fear insignificance. They put their self worth on what they do, which determines who they are. He needs admiration to reinforce his self-respect; it's more important than his self-love.
Women fear abandonment. It threatens her needs for a brighter future; to nest, nurture, and nestle; her wants for security, comfort, and companionship. She needs assurance which they can see and feel through love. (Excerpts from WWNH)
That's why the bible tells us that husbands should love their wives as they love themselves and wives are to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-23).
Relationship compatibility is either bult on Love and Respect, or it will not last.
