The love story between men and their male counterparts is actually fascinating. The significant other in this love story is often referred to as “the boys,” "the bros," or “the guys.” I’m sure every girl has heard these terms before. It’s also safe to say that almost every girl understands this apparent obsession that boys have with each other. It’s weird honestly… I mean, girls don’t need to hang out with other girls to be happy. Many girls only want attention from their guy to feel satisfied, which, ironically enough, may seem weird to guys.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s healthy to maintain good quality relationships with your girls just like it’s healthy for guys to hang out with their guys. However, I don’t think us girls will ever be able to tap into just how important “the boys” are to the standard guy.

Though, here are some explanations that I came up with while pondering this theory.

They need bros to do bro things with.

Simply put, guys need those moments of just acting weird and being stupid with their friends. They need those memories of drinking beers, watching sports and saying stupid stuff that only another guy would laugh at. At times, a guy needs to be able to talk as loud as he wants and eat pizza like a wild animal without their girl nitpicking every little move they make. On the flip side, girls also need time to spend with their girls gossiping, drinking wine and watching "The Bachelor" – that’s just what we do.

They’ll feel suffocated by us girls.

Men and women are intrinsically different. Women were made to be emotional and motherly while men were created to be more dominant and attentive. That said, there has to be a balance in a relationship. Guys need time to be with other guys just like we need to hang with our girls. Since we usually like to control everything, we girls will suffocate guys if we spend every single second together. So, don’t let your insecurities smother your relationship and at the end of the day trust your man (unless he has shown that he can’t be trusted). In that case, it’s time to move on.

They need male companionship.

Friendship with your same sex is simply healthy. Sometimes, guys are the only ones who can satisfy other guys’ needs. For instance, guys need to be able to fully open up about a situation without worrying about hurting the other person’s feelings (like they often have to worry about with girls). Guys have an easier time speaking what’s on their mind when they’re talking to one of their boys rather than an emotionally sensitive girl.

Whenever he hangs out with guys, plan to hang out with your girls. This will help you to strengthen those relationships because we all know that once a girl gets in a relationship with a guy, that’s the only person she ever wants to hang out with. Hanging out with your girls while he’s out with his guys will also help you to remain sane.

However, if he’s spending more time with his boys than he is with you, well then… that’s just a red flag.