Guys sometimes don't go to the heart of the matter.

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vectra

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Hello,

This is a student's opinion after watching Beyonce's clip 'If I Were A Boy':

'I see eye to eye with Beyonce.
When I see a problem in the relationship, and it bothers me, I come to my second half and explain it as clearly as I can.
But guys sometimes don't go to the heart of the matter, and just laugh it off. The problem is unsolved and snowballs.'

Is it OK to use the expression 'go to the heart of the matter' in this context?
Will it be OK to just say 'guys sometimes don't see the point or miss the point'?

Thank you in advance.
 

JMurray

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not a teacher

I think "don't go to the heart of the matter" works alright here, but it might be more commonly expressed as "guys sometimes don't want to go to the heart of the matter". As your example implies, men are often considered to be reluctant to talk seriously about relationship problems, which is probably the point that's being made.
Your suggestion, "guys sometimes miss the point", could fit, but in this case it might have the implication that he genuinely doesn't see where the problem is, although it may be clear to his partner. So it depends on the situation.
The phrase "my second half" doesn't seem natural to me. People sometimes use "my other half" to mean their long-term partner, or in the case of married couples, "my better half".
 
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