Mutual respect is fundamental in relationships. If it’s missing, then something’s very wrong. When you’re dating someone new, everyone wants to leave a good first impression. So it might take a while for your date to show some of their off-putting behaviors.
In a post on the ‘Am I Overreacting’ online group, a woman asked for the community’s help after a bizarre interaction with her new boyfriend. She detailed how the man flipped out after seeing that she had period products… in her own bathroom. Check out the full story and the internet’s reactions below.
Dating someone new can be very exciting. But, as time passes, you might get to see some of your partner's less-than-savory side
A woman asked the internet to weigh in on some relationship drama. Her boyfriend had a bizarre reaction when he went to her bathroom
Image credits: Toa Heftiba / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: wayhomestudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: abstract_lemons
Image credits: abstract_lemons
Image credits: Polina Zimmerman / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One of the core features of toxic masculinity is anti-feminine behavior
It is thoroughly ridiculous to judge someone for having something natural and obvious like female hygiene products in their own bathroom.
On top of that, judging someone for how they organize their home feels off. The man’s reaction was really weird, and it might imply that he feels insecure about his masculinity.
The online post got 64k upvotes at the time of writing. Most members of the ‘Am I Overreacting’ community were on the author’s side, and they called out her boyfriend.
From their perspective, someone who isn’t mature enough to be around period products isn’t mature enough for physical intimacy either.
While it’s difficult to tell definitively, such an aggressive, impolite, anti-feminine reaction to female hygiene products might possibly be a sign of toxic masculinity.
In a nutshell, toxic masculinity refers to certain behaviors and ways of thinking that have a negative impact on men, women, and society. As WebMD points out, it’s not that masculinity itself is ‘bad,’ but rather, there are certain stereotypical behaviors associated with it that are dangerous.
Verywell Mind stresses that there are three main ideas lying at the core of toxic masculinity: toughness, anti-femininity, and power.
Image credits: Yan Krukau / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Overly controlling behavior, emotional immaturity, and over-the-top aggression are red flags
In short, toxic men are encouraged to be “physically strong, emotionally callous, and behaviorally aggressive.” They are also pushed to reject traditionally feminine behaviors like showing emotion and accepting help. Moreover, they are told to obtain power and status in order to be respected.
According to WebMD, some common toxic masculinity red flag behaviors include things like a need for control, promiscuity, refusing to help with the housework, excessive risk-taking, aggression when it comes to intimacy, violence, and embracing ‘traditionally’ masculine norms.
For example, toxic men see a need to assert their power and dominance, feel like they should have the final say in their relationship, and believe that they deserve to know where their partners or spouses are at all times.
Meanwhile, WebMD notes that toxic men are encouraged to have multiple intimate partners, while “expressing disgust at women who do the same.”
These men also embrace what they associate with traditional gender roles, and so, they might refuse to help out with the chores at home. They also avoid cooking, cleaning, and childcare.
Furthermore, there’s this social pressure for men to avoid showing emotion because they consider this to be ‘feminine.’ This also leads to men avoiding getting help for mental health-related issues because they don’t want to be perceived as ‘weak.’
What do you think, Pandas? Why do you think the man had such a weird reaction to female hygiene products? How would you react if someone you were dating flipped out like that? What are your biggest relationship red flags? Let us know in the comments below.
Many readers were shocked by what they read. Here's the advice they gave the author
A handful of internet users shared personal stories about the same topic
