Why Is It Better to Say “I Love You” First?

Since I suffer from the terminal condition of being a man, the best I can give you is my personal answer to this question, entirely from a male perspective.  I believe, however, that most women would reach a similar conclusion.

Who will say the words “I love you” first in a relationship?  I thought about this a lot when I was a teenager, and my answer then, as now, is simple.  I am willing to say it first, and, in so doing, I am willing to risk the possibility of rejection.

This is true even...