Misogyny is so widespread that, at a certain point, you have to learn how to navigate around them instead of pretending they donât exist. Iâm not saying Iâd raise my daughters to be misogynistic. My point is that you canât go into the real world with an idealized belief that friendship with women is automatically magical, just like women shouldnât idealize romantic relationships with men as automatically magical.
People arenât all raised the same, and some people arenât raised well at all. A lot of the time, youâre interacting with people carrying unhealthy behaviors, poor social skills, or toxic mindsets, and you donât always get to avoid them. Thatâs why blindly romanticizing friendships or relationships is a mistake. Toxic people actively seek out those who are vulnerable, lonely, desperate for friends, or desperate for love. Reality requires discernment, not idealization.