Apparently, being mentally stable is a dealbreaker now. Thanks, Reddit.

I need to vent before my brain completely short-circuits.

So, I met this SB on Reddit. We hit it off, the banter was great, the vibe was there.

I’m thinking, “Awesome, a normal, cool connection.” We start talking about meeting up and hooking up, and suddenly the brakes get slammed on.

Why, you ask? Did I say something creepy? Was I disrespectful?

No. She rejected me because—and I am not making this up—I am not “damaged enough.” Yep. You read that right. I got disqualified for not having enough trauma.

She literally told me she couldn’t get into an arrangement with me because I am "not damaged enough." Let that sink in.

She straight-up said she wants a "project." She wants to "heal someone broken," and because I have my life relatively together, I’m just "too boring."

Since when did having a functional relationship with my parents, and not trauma-dumping on the first date become a romantic deficit? I’m sorry I didn’t provide you with a 12-chapter backstory of unhealed childhood wounds and a toxic ex to fix. I didn't realize I needed to come with a hazard warning and a prescription list just to be considered attractive.

She doesn't want a partner; she wants a rescue puppy with behavioral issues. She wants to play Florence Nightingale with someone’s emotional baggage so she can feel like a savior, instead of just having a normal, fun human connection.

"I want to heal someone broken."

Ma'am, this is not a psychiatric rehabilitation center. Go volunteer at an animal shelter if you need to nurture something back to health.

Imagine being rejected for "lacking" red flags. I’m out here trying to be a healthy, well-adjusted adult, and turns out the dating pool expects me to be a DIY home-renovation project.

"Being with someone broken makes me feel wanted. I need to be needed."

That is an actual, direct statement she dropped on me.

Since when did being a well-adjusted human being become a romantic handicap? I’m sorry that my emotional stability is a turn-off. I didn’t realize I needed to come wrapped in caution tape and a severe case of emotional unavailability just to find a sugar arrangement.

We’re out here outgrowing our toxic phases, doing self-reflection, trying to be good, healthy partners, only to find out the market is looking for DIY fixer-uppers. She doesn’t want a partner; she wants a psychological renovation rescue show.

I can’t even be mad, I’m just profoundly bewildered. Bullet dodged, I guess, but holy hell the bar is in hell, and somehow I managed to trip over it by being too normal.

TL;DR: Got rejected for a sugar arrangement because I don’t have enough psychological baggage to satisfy her Bob the Builder savior complex. Dating in 2026 is an absolute simulation.