Culture taught women to recognize a man’s love by how much of himself he is willing to give them.
His time.
His strength.
His health.
His direction.
His own life.
They were taught that a man who is not willing to use himself up for their idea of love and a relationship
does not love enough,
does not make them feel safe,
or is not a real man.
This is how a man’s healthy boundaries become red flags, while his slow destruction becomes proof of love.
Culture blurred the line between a man who invests in a relationship and a man who uses himself up for it.
Tell a woman that you want to take care of yourself too.
You will hear that you are selfish or that you do not know how to be a gentleman.
Tell a woman that you want to care for another man.
She may call you gay, unmanly, or question what kind of relationship you have.
Tell a woman that you will not cater to her at the cost of your own health, strength and life.
She may call you a wimp or a sissy.
If you do not sacrifice yourself for her, you will be seen as unworthy.
If you do, you will always be seen as not enough.
Your giving yourself away was called an act of love.
Your boundaries were called a flaw.
Narcissism.
Toxicity.