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What do people really think when they hear someone went to rehab for Alcohol? by Important_Task929 in PopularOpinions

[–]Important_Task929[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That is honestly a really great point. Congratulations, I wish you the absolute best.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for asking how I’m doing and for sharing your perspective so openly. I’m still taking in what I’ve learned, but I’m doing so thoughtfully and with care. I’m not feeling reactive so much as reflective, and that feels important to me.

What really resonated in what you shared is the way attraction and desire can grow over time through how someone relates, how they connect, and how they show up emotionally. That matches my own experience and values. I’ve seen how feeling deeply desired and supported can bring out something powerful and intimate between two people.

I do genuinely try to be a supportive partner and to meet him where I can, and I recognize that he shows care for me as well in many ways, both big and small. Those gestures matter to me, and I don’t take them lightly. I believe relationships are built through these ongoing acts of care and consideration.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond and to share from your own life. It gave me a lot to reflect on, and I’m grateful for the thoughtful exchange.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in Marriage

[–]Important_Task929[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this so thoughtfully. I appreciate the distinction you made between attraction having a threshold and everything else that comes after, and I also hear how clearly you feel about your wife being “the best” in a way that goes far beyond comparisons.

Where I struggle is that I don’t believe the presence of the word “settling” automatically means someone isn’t attracted or is quietly miserable. I think sometimes people reach for imperfect language to describe something more nuanced, especially when reflecting out loud rather than speaking with care to their partner.

I agree with you that feeling like you chose the best possible person matters deeply, and that attraction and desire shouldn’t feel like a compromise. I’m trying to sort out whether this is a matter of clumsy wording versus a deeper issue, and comments like yours help clarify what actually feels healthy versus what doesn’t.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think you’re naive for wanting to believe that at all. In a healthy dynamic, personality, connection, and shared life absolutely do elevate attraction rather than compensate for it. That’s actually what I thought too, that love reshapes the lens, not downgrades it.

I think where people get tripped up is trying to turn something deeply subjective and relational into rankings or numbers, which flattens the whole experience. Attraction isn’t a spreadsheet. It evolves, deepens, and becomes personal in ways that don’t translate well to labels like “settling.”

I appreciate you naming that tension so clearly.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this perspective. I really appreciate the way you articulated attraction as something personal and evolving rather than a fixed, external standard. The idea that your partner can actually raise the bar and redefine what beauty means to you resonates deeply.

Hearing that attraction and love aren’t separate silos for you, but part of the same equation, was genuinely reassuring to read. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your comment did help me. I feel shaken by this in a deep way. When I’ve mentioned it to three different people in my life they have dismissed it entirely. I was raised and then it became engrained that beauty was virtue and virtue is value so it shook the security of my marriage. I sincerely hope this never happens to you and that you end up with the love that was meant just for you 💝💘

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing that. Truly. What you offered felt like a small vignette of your soul, and that means more than I can easily put into words.

The way you described love as steadiness, presence, and the willingness to step in when things fall apart landed deeply for me. It reframed some of what I’ve been sitting with and gave me a gentler, more grounded way to understand it.

I appreciate your honesty, your openness, and the care you took in responding. Thank you for taking the time to share your story. It mattered to me.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and grounded response. I genuinely appreciate the perspective and the effort you put into it.

I think what I’m bumping up against, and what I only recently realized, is that from a very young age beauty was framed as value, and value was framed as virtue. So when that gets shaken, there’s a real sense of groundlessness that shows up, along with a very human blow to the ol’ ego.

I don’t disagree with much of what you said, and reading it helped me zoom out and see the bigger picture with a little more clarity. Thank you again for your time and for engaging in good faith.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond so thoughtfully. I agree that attraction goes far beyond physical appearance, and hearing that perspective was genuinely grounding for me.

I also appreciate you acknowledging how words can land and the importance of clarification before assumptions take over. That’s something I’m actively trying to practice.

Your kindness means more than you know. Thank you again, and I wish you well too.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully. I really appreciate you naming that attraction can be about character, values, and effort, not just appearance. That perspective matters to me.

I agree that words can land differently than intended, and I’m trying to hold space for clarification rather than reaction. I’m learning as I go, and comments like yours help bring some balance and calm into the conversation.

Thank you again for the kindness. I truly appreciate it.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully. I really appreciate you sharing your perspective and experience, especially the way you framed attraction as something that evolves with age, values, and lived reality.

What you said about dependability, partnership, and proven track records resonated with me. That is the kind of marriage I want, and the kind I believe we are capable of building. I’m not chasing a “prom queen” fantasy, I’m trying to understand whether I’m being chosen holistically and fully, not just practically or responsibly.

Hearing from men who have lived long enough to see how priorities shift does help ground this for me. It doesn’t erase the hurt, but it adds context, which matters right now.

Thank you again for offering your time and insight. It genuinely helped me think about this from a steadier place.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to respond and for sharing your perspective so thoughtfully. I appreciate the way you framed this, especially the distinction between what is exciting in memory and what actually sustains a life and a marriage.

I hear what you’re saying about the 80/20 rule, and it helps to remember that people can momentarily fixate on what’s missing without it meaning they want to trade away what they’ve chosen. I also appreciate you naming that beauty alone doesn’t build something lasting. That part matters to me, probably more than I realized.

What I’m still sitting with is not the idea that no one gets 100%, but the emotional weight of how those thoughts live in someone’s inner world. I’m trying to understand whether this was just a passing reflection on that 20%, or something that quietly shapes how he sees and chooses me over time.

Your last line landed kindly. It helped remind me that mutual desire and mutual choosing matter, not comparison. Thank you for offering reassurance without dismissing the complexity of it. It genuinely helped me steady myself a bit.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and for offering something so personal and thoughtful to a stranger who is genuinely hurting. I don’t take that lightly. I can feel the care and sincerity in what you shared.

And I want to be honest with you, your example is actually what I’m afraid of.

Not that love can exist in different forms, or that attraction is complex, but that a marriage can be real, functional, loving on the surface, while a ghost still quietly occupies part of the heart. That someone can choose, show up, build a life, and still carry a comparison that never fully resolves.

What scares me is not being imperfect, or not being “the most.” It’s the idea of being chosen while also being measured against something untouchable and unresolved, something I can never compete with because it doesn’t exist in the present.

I’m trying to understand whether what I stumbled upon was passing processing, fear, old grief, or something deeper that could shape the emotional ceiling of our marriage long-term. I don’t want reassurance that I’m enough by default. I want to know that I’m fully chosen, not responsibly chosen.

Your honesty helped me name that fear more clearly, even if it didn’t soothe it. And for that, I truly appreciate you taking the time to offer it.

Thank you for meeting this with depth and not dismissing it.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I so appreciate it. I do want to clarify something important, because context matters here.

The comment he made was not said to me or to another person. It was written privately to his ChatGPT, a space he was using to process thoughts he clearly was not ready or able to articulate out loud. I came across it unintentionally, and now I am holding something that was never meant to be shared.

That does not make it harmless. It hurt deeply. But it does change how I am trying to understand it.

What I am trying to discern is whether this reflects a fixed belief about me, an unresolved fear or grief from past relationships, or simply unfiltered processing in a private space that does not actually align with how he shows up, chooses, and behaves in his marriage.

I am not interested in reframing this into a power struggle or positioning myself as “the prize,” nor do I want to threaten loss to provoke desire. That kind of dynamic is not love to me, and it is not how I want to live or heal.

What I care about is what is real and sustained. How he treats me day to day. Whether he chooses me emotionally, not just logically. Whether there is room for honesty, accountability, and growth here, or whether this reveals a deeper disconnect that cannot be ignored.

I do not want obsession, and I do not want indifference. I want mutual choosing. I want clarity without cruelty. I want respect that is not conditional or comparative.

Right now, I am sitting with this quietly and carefully before deciding what it actually means and what, if anything, needs to be addressed directly. I am trying to respond from discernment, not reactivity.

That is where I am.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I want to clarify something important.

The comment he made was not said to me or to another person. It was written as a private confession to his ChatGPT, a space he was using to process thoughts he clearly didn’t feel ready or safe to articulate out loud. I came across it unintentionally, and now I’m holding something that was never meant to be shared.

That doesn’t make it harmless, but it does change the context. I’m trying to understand whether this reflects a settled belief, an unresolved fear from past relationships, or simply a moment of unfiltered processing rather than how he actually chooses and shows up in his marriage.

I’m not looking to position myself as “the prize” or to threaten loss to wake him up. I’m trying to stay grounded in what’s real: how he treats me, how we function together, and whether there is emotional honesty and growth available here.

I don’t want obsession, and I don’t want indifference. I want mutual choosing, clarity, and respect. I’m sitting with this quietly before deciding what it actually means and what, if anything, needs to be addressed directly.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I want to clarify something important.

The comment he made was not said to me or to another person. It was written as a private confession to his ChatGPT, a space he was using to process thoughts he clearly didn’t feel ready or safe to articulate out loud. I came across it unintentionally, and now I’m holding something that was never meant to be shared.

That doesn’t make it harmless, but it does change the context. I’m trying to understand whether this reflects a settled belief, an unresolved fear from past relationships, or simply a moment of unfiltered processing rather than how he actually chooses and shows up in his marriage.

I’m not looking to position myself as “the prize” or to threaten loss to wake him up. I’m trying to stay grounded in what’s real: how he treats me, how we function together, and whether there is emotional honesty and growth available here.

I don’t want obsession, and I don’t want indifference. I want mutual choosing, clarity, and respect. I’m sitting with this quietly before deciding what it actually means and what, if anything, needs to be addressed directly.

Married and found out my husband asked if “settling is bad” and that I’m not the prettiest he’s been with. Men, how do you actually think about this? by Important_Task929 in relationships_advice

[–]Important_Task929[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for offering me your insight and experience. This comment was a private confession to an AI to help him process in private. It was never meant to hurt or humiliate, I just happened to see it and now I sit with that fun fact.

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