I'm lucky. My wife doesn't 'need' a man around. She's a talented pediatric anesthesiologist. And a tough SOB at that. Were both very independent, and it seems like things work because we
don't try and make the other person into something they are not.
Men (me included) can stupidly bottle up their feelings, and some women will take that as a cue to run over the guys feelings and try and mold them into someone else. Those same guys are the ones who seem to end up getting caught dipping their wick somewhere else. Or worse yet, spending every weekend obsessively working on an old German car.
....I kid, I kid.....