" When a woman is upset about something, men either want to suggest a solution (which is why they interrupt) or encourage her to forget it, and while she is talking about it, they can do neither. But there’s another reason men often interrupt women when they are upset and talking about a problem: they incorrectly interpret her strong emotional reaction to moderate external stress. A man wrongly assumes that if a woman is getting upset then it is because she can’t solve her problems on her own. He interprets her stronger emotional response as an urgent need for help, and then tries to give it. "

― John Gray , Beyond Mars and Venus: Taking Your Relationship to the Next Level