"Never tell a man what you've been through"
I see this idea and others like it so often, I have no idea what to make of it. Is it something other people here would agree with?
Because I see it argued for different reasons. Most people I see say it's because if you tell people (especially men, mainly romantic partners) about your experiences, they'll use it against you and hurt you even worse, since you've just told them how much you're "willing to put up with"
Or lots of people saying it's because they'll respect you less. "No one wants damaged goods" and that sort of idea, if you tell people what you experienced and what you were forced to accept, they'll see you as damaged and weak
And I initially want to argue against it, but it's kind of hard to disagree with when I've experienced that exact thing multiple times. Either my trauma gets used as a roadmap for what people can do to me, or they think I'm "used up" and pathetic
Does anyone else have input? Is it something you think is right or wrong?
Posted Dec 11, 2025, 9:36 AM UTC