Intimacy Issues

>>18426929
Several ideas:

Read literature from at least two centuries back, where guys were portrayed as having strong emotions and that was virile af.

Second, get on YouTube and start warching lectures by Jordan Peterson. He explains a bunch of stuff about how the mind works but also how emotions help you to navigate your world, how they give you meaning. That might help you consider emotions as useful, it just a liability.

Third, try to come up with a plan to slowly familiarize yourself with all that amd express it. You won't turn into a blubbering mess if but by bit you start getting in touch with them.

Also re-evaluate how your childhood might have thought you having emotions is bad.

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>>18426929
Don't be afraid of rejection, you can go a long way if you choose to ignore how others think of yourself. That sounds simple but it's a huge step at improving yourself

>>18426929

Do you mean you see emotion as weakness or that expressing emotion is weakness? Either way, I was in the same boat for the first 25 years of my life. The main reasons why I struggled with emotional openness was that I had trust issues (didn't trust people not to use my emotions against me) and because I wasn't even comfortable or close enough with anyone, not even immediate family. Emotional expression is ultimately about equal exchange; you can easily express emotion only with people who are equally willing to express their emotions in your company. I eventually found someone who I could both trust and grow close to, so opening up was easier. Basically, seeing emotion as weakness is probably not the only reason why you struggle. Figure out the thought patterns that cause this reaction and the underlying issues that make you cautious and then figure out a way to work around them.

>>18426929
A story: Do you know how shaking hands began? Knights in armor would show their friendliness by taking off their iron gloves and extending their bare hand, knowing the other guy could take advantage and cut it off. It was a signal of trust, and when both guys did it, they could clasp hands in friendship.

The point of the story is that EVERY contact with another person, from business to love, involves risk. There is always the chance that the other person will abuse your vulnerability. But you can't interact with others on any level without taking that chance.

not OP but I was raped when I was four so I have huuuge intimacy issues.
Sometimes I just wish some girl with a strong personality would just fucking rape me and force me into a relationship because I feel like the only way I'll be able to be intimate and open up to anybody is if I don't have a choice in it.

what do