Nirpal Dhaliwal of the Daily Mail thinks that the only thing men and women have in common, is sex. And babies. Who often come as a natural result of sex. If a man and a woman didn’t have sex together, or children to care for, they would have no interest in each other. Says Dhaliwal. The reason? Because we don’t exist in the same time zone. Men live now, women live tomorrow.

We exist in two different time zones. Men want to be happy right now, today, preferably in the company of a beautiful woman. Tomorrow can wait.

Women, on the other hand, are constantly concerned with the future, and with their prospects financially, emotionally and sexually.

While this girl prattled on about her vague hopes and worries for the future, her boyfriend was anchored by his carnal desires into the immediate here and now.

They exemplified what I’ve come to realise over the years: that men and women have almost nothing in common, other than the desire for sex and, if they have any children, a shared concern for their wellbeing. Besides that, we have very little interest in each other.

Men and women speak two different tongues. We can barely even get to know each other, let alone make each other happy.

Women are pathological worriers, especially the intelligent and successful ones.

I remember how, at university, the brightest girls were the most meticulous notetakers during lectures, while the boys slouched through them half-asleep.

Women can’t trust their abilities and go with the flow. Even the most capable ones are riddled with doubts and desperate for security.

And that means security for the future: are they going to meet a nice man they can take home to meet their mother? Are they going to have a nice house with a conservatory at the back?

Women think and think about their lives, they plan and scheme and imagine how things might go with Mike or Sam or Joe. Who would be the best husband, the best father, the best lover? Which would have the best pension plan?

Meanwhile Mike and Sam and Joe are probably just thinking about whether the woman in question will sleep with them tonight, and who is going to win the Champions League this summer.