This is a topic I been trying to keep wraps for a every long time and still don’t feel uncomfortable revealing
Do I lack emotional awareness? Am I not as intelligent as I thought?
As I start to ask those difficult questions, self doubt starts creeping in
I know I’m very capable and a very good person when I’m myself, when I’m relaxed but the public perception combined with ableism is slowly eroding my mind
I’m socially awkward, don’t like interacting with others. I also don’t like to put myself out there. Selling my soul is something I refuse to do
Prolonged isolation doesn’t help my mental health but I can’t really connect with others
It’s easy to befriend someone but it’s hard to be intimate
I don’t think I have the capacity of going on dates, or maybe I’m selling myself short
Just some data here regarding the struggles with dating in today's world. Certainly, an autism condition is a handicap here from a social and communication perspective, but even neurotypicals are suffering in this regard.
Are 27% Of Young Men Really Virgins? (And Why) - Date Psychology.
1. There is a lot more social isolation now-a-days. It started with the advent of home computers, high-speed internet connections, smart phones and tablets. It started with "helicopter" and "bulldozer" parents hovering over their children, making "play dates", keeping their children close, and rarely letting them outdoors to play and ride their bikes to their friends houses, taking care of their every need without ever being a teacher and mentor to show them how to live independently. It started with software developers and advertisers knowingly designing their products to "keep users engaged" with dopamine-triggering elements. A lot of things happened with the level of fear, anxiety, disinformation, and divisiveness, when people began to interact through social media.
2. Many young people would rather engage, like this, behind a computer screen or text, rather than talking on the phone or face-to-face. Many are lacking some social awareness and skills in how to "read people". Go to a restaurant and watch the people at the table, eyes glued to their phones, and not on each other. Walk into any common area and look around, eyes glued to phones and not the people around them. Most young people have "lost it" or never learned proper social skills.
3. The modern feminism movement is neck deep in utter lies and misinformation spread amongst women, mainly on how they think men think. Men already know they don't know what women are thinking, however, so many of these feminists seem to have this idea that "men are so simple" that it's easy to understand them, and they are SO wrong. In fact, they are wrong almost always. Furthermore, marriage and even dating, to them, is a "business transaction". How much is he willing to spend on me? How much is he willing to give of himself to be with me? Narcissism at its best. At no point does it occur to them, in this scenario, they have no worth to a man. Furthermore, men are disposable. She can leave him any time she is unhappy, and then gets to take all of his stuff. Men see this and run away from women. The risks are too high dealing with this sort of mentality. Well, now a lot of these women are upset and can't figure out why they can't get any attention. You made your bed, now lie in it.
@KevinMao133, The reality is that dating and marriage should be a 1 + 1 = 3 equation. Both not only benefit, but it creates a situation where there is an additive effect. Giving equally on both sides. So, if you are single, you have to ask yourself the difficult questions, like
"What do I bring to the relationship?", "What value do I have?", "What would a potential partner see in me that would attract them?" You can't go fishing without bait. Without it you aren't going to get a nibble. Then, you need to follow through and maintain your value to the relationship. Can you do that? I can say that after some 40 years, maintaining a relationship can be easy, but in no way is it passive.
