When it comes to her mate's ego, Cassandra W. takes a Zen-like approach. "I see it rear its head," says the real estate agent and photographer. "But I recognize it for what it is and pat my date on his back. He's only trying to help, old-school style. His dad taught him… I love it because I know what it is -- a shield to protect the more sensitive parts of his being."
Blogger Fajita would probably endorse this attitude. Writing on her blog, she says she believes efforts to control, manipulate or "co-opt" the ego are doomed. A better method of dealing with the male ego is "affirming without patronizing," writes Fajita. "The male ego is fueled on affirmation. However, it must the right kind of affirmation."
"Sometimes I'll ask, 'What is at stake here? My feminine pride or his male ego?'" says Nicole W., a patent agent. "Usually, I'll let him have his ego."
Or you could try Bonnie K.'s method. "I go out of my way to insult it," she says. And does that work for her? "Well, yeah. When I'm nice to them they fly away. I don't understand it. It's like a magic trick that the magician doesn't even understand. Some guys like a challenge. The ego wants to be happy, but when it's happy it's bored."
Crystal H. notes that the male ego can rear its figurative head in different ways. "I went to art school, so a lot of the ego stuff in the guy students was removed. But you could see it coming out in their artwork, and I wouldn't like their artwork."
And there are circumstances where the male ego can be a positive force. It's been useful in building society, putting someone (albeit, a man) on the moon, and making James Bond movies.
According to an analysis of 30 studies by British researcher Adrian Furnham, men aren't more clever or smarter than woman. "But since they think they are, they are more confident about their abilities," Furnham said in an interview with Newsweek.
"These self-beliefs, however, may be highly adaptive. Who gets a job? A bright woman who doesn't think she's smart or a not-so-bright man who believes he's capable of anything? Arrogance and hubris are not attractive qualities but confident self-belief may be. Certainly, underestimating your abilities might hurt you."
Remember that the next time he won't ask for directions. It could all just be part of the process. A maddening process, perhaps, but to him, a necessary one.