Bub is absolutely right in his analysis of the smart thing. I think he also understands that when Betty says “if you don’t want to .., I’ll understand”, she is lying. So he believes he is being put in a box. This is an example of a woman trying to passive-aggressive manipulate her man into accepting a fraternal duty on her behalf, rather than being frank with him about what she wants from him. And most men, myself included, resent this. I also confess that I have not always been so frank with the women in my life, so there is an element of “people who live in glass houses” about my rant.
Bub is absolutely right in his analysis of the smart thing. I think he also understands that when Betty says “if you don’t want to .., I’ll understand”, she is lying. So he believes he is being put in a box. This is an example of a woman trying to passive-aggressive manipulate her man into accepting a fraternal duty on her behalf, rather than being frank with him about what she wants from him. And most men, myself included, resent this. I also confess that I have not always been so frank with the women in my life, so there is an element of “people who live in glass houses” about my rant.