Opening up, being vulnerable, spending time primping and preparing to go out and engage with someone is tiring and exhausting.

You are absolutely correct on the drain and sludge from our harsh economic situation. I find it ironic that the government and business use productivity of workers as a gauge of success of economies and companies, but they omit it from the minimum wage calculation.

In economic and political discussions, I have used inflation costs (up until COVID) to track that the floor needs to be a minimum of $10.50 just using inflation. If I included productivity, it was $15, and now? Yeah, a lot higher (in fact if my estimates are right it might have to be 25-30/hr.

So men are fighting for jobs like women and if you toss in the higher education angle there are power shifts and all of the upbringing angles, and that means the pools of people to date get horribly screwed.

Then the old adage, the longer one dates and is on this planet, the more baggage they accumulate, which means the sum of their experiences gain a weight no partner will be able to bear.

To be fair the truly jaded (men and women/womyn) should not be dating or even having sex if they are that far off. Stereotypes turn into bigotry turn into prejuidice, and when generalization steps in even the biggest most powerful passioned heart becomes toxic. Men become misogynst, women become misandrist and then the pool turns dark, and self-fulfilling prophecies kick in.

To be honest, men checking out is a good thing if we are to have an equality based society. They need to rework their issues and then learn the skills they need to be better partners, and also most importantly know how to step away from the truly damaged and not go there.

In the end life is short, one can either figure out the tools they need to be healthy, happy and to do their own thing their own way, or one can spend tons of energy being negative and being "that person" that truly channels (using a trope ... of an angry white old man yelling at the colds with a fast in the air).

All one has to do is look at two female congress persons at the state of the union and there is a prime example ...

You are absolutely correct, relationships are not for everyone. They should never be shamed for not bieng a realtionships person; however, they should not troll and shit on other people's parades either. They should find their happy and scroll on by with life.

Great article as always