Gen-Xers and Millennials grew up during a time when being a sensitive boy or an emotional boy was not welcome in most households.
The problem is that girls were taught this just as much as boys, so some Gen-X and Millennial women struggle with interacting with emotional men, cringed the members of the "Am I the A**hole?" (AITA) subReddit.
Redditor RepulsiveAge4638 self-identified as an emotionally sensitive man since childhood. After dating his girlfriend for a year and a half, he assumed she was comfortable with this.
But when they finished watching a long, emotionally-taxing TV show together, the Original Poster (OP) was surprised and hurt when his girlfriend shamed him for reacting to the finale.
He asked the sub:
"Am I the a**hole for getting upset at my girlfriend for mocking me when I cried after watching a show with an emotionally deep ending?"
The OP wasn't encouraged to be open with his emotions when he was young.
"My girlfriend (24 Female) and I (23 Male) have lived together since the beginning of the new year 2026, but we've been in a relationship for one and a half years."
"I'm an emotionally sensitive person since childhood. But I was taught not to cry or at least do it alone; thanks to the 'Boys don't cry' type of upbringing I had."
The OP found out that his girlfriend wouldn't be supportive of his emotions, either.
"My girlfriend never saw me crying until yesterday."
"I never watched any shows in the past, recently started with 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul.'"
"We finished the last episode yesterday. As the ending of 'Better Call Saul' was emotionally heavy, I couldn't help but cry."
"I was really invested in the show. My girlfriend had already watched them."
"But instead of comforting me or at least leaving me alone, she started making fun of me for crying over some entertainment."
The OP was hurt by how his girlfriend treated him.
"It wasn't some playful banter, either. She didn't stop until I was totally p**sed and had to stop crying to make her go."
"She made me feel like as if I'm weak and stupid. I immediately told her how bad I felt, but she wasn't concerned at all and carried on with her shaming routine."
"I'm extremely upset and disappointed with her. This is the first time she saw me crying, and that was her reaction."
"Around an hour later, before sleep, I told her that if she doesn't truly feel sorry for what she did today, then don't blame me in the future if I become emotionally distant from her and start hiding things whenever I get vulnerable."
"She reacted strongly, and we had a fight."
"AITA?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You're the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some reassured the OP that he deserved better than how his girlfriend treated him.
"NTA. You deserve BETTER, dude." - curious-mind-
"Men need to feel more comfortable with their feelings; these kinds of reactions are really toxic." - hangmansj0e
"I've been with my partner for 25 years, and one thing that made me feel comfortable with him is that he'll cry at movies/books/etc. Women who minimise men's emotions are immature and not worth the time." - Rainbow_dreaming
"My husband is a huge tattooed biker who looks like he rips trees out of the ground for fun. He cries at movies and when he sees cute kittens, and he's just one of the biggest green flags I've ever met." - liefieblue
"A whole lot of women demand emotional safety from their partner, but are unwilling to BE the emotional safe place for him."
"Part of being in a successful relationship is creating a safe place for both partners to be open and vulnerable. This woman just turned that vulnerability into a weapon."
"NTA. God, OP, I'm so sorry." - Fuzzy_Shower4821
"NTA. I've been married for over twenty years, my relationship would have never worked out had this occurred at year one, ten, or twenty." - Working_Pen2299
"My husband and I have also been together for over 20 years. A recent episode of 'The Pitt' grabbed him at the core and shook his emotions loose. I couldn't tell you the last time I saw him cry."
"I held him while he worked through it, and he's done the same for me countless times."
"The fact that OP's girlfriend was so openly hostile means that he can never be emotionally vulnerable with her. The relationship is already doomed." - Waffle_Slaps
"This is exactly how and why men learn to never open up to their spouse or girlfriend. The one place where we should feel safe enough to open up emotionally is usually where we get burned, and to never make the mistake again."
"Think of that video of the guy contemplating the roll of wire he had for most of his life, and it almost being out. Him trying to explain the feelings behind the moment and her making a comment about the hat he was wearing." - TepHoBubba
Others pointed out that this woman was not girlfriend material.
"This is not a girlfriend. This is an ex-girlfriend."
"Do not stay with a partner who mocks you, tells you there's something wrong with you, or otherwise denigrates you for expressing reasonable emotion." - NoLaugh5206
"I'm lucky to have my wife, so I'm all good now, but I'll say I've dated a lot of women in my life who said they wanted emotions, but they never looked at you the same if you showed vulnerability. We are normally allowed to be stoic, happy, and mad. Anything else is perceived as weakness." - FriendlySceptic
"Your girlfriend is an a**hole. You can do better. NTA." - hometown_nero
"Mocking someone for being emotionally moved is just cruel, honestly. That's a huge red flag in how she handles vulnerability."
"I can't imagine how she'd act if it were a bigger moment, like having to go to a funeral, or how she'd handle the late, emotional nights with a newborn or, worse, raising emotionally regulated and emotionally safe kids." - AcrobaticBathroom804
"My dad has always cried easily, and I think it's a huge reason why my brothers are normal and emotionally mature people for their respective ages. Seeing your dad willing to be vulnerable around you (and seeing your mom validate his emotions, and vice versa) helps soooo much to prove that your home is a safe place for you emotionally."
"I don't know if OP's thought about kids at all, but if that's in his hopes for his future, I hope he's able to start a family with someone who recognizes this for the strength that it is. His current girlfriend doesn't deserve him." - orangepeeeelss
"NTA. This girl is toxic and sounds borderline abusive. She is not the one for you; and this will be forever a problem. What will she do when you lose a pet, a loved one, something you cherish? Either it will be all about consoling her, or you have to be a man and get over it." - oCrystall
"NTA, and you need to get out. You've basically said you know that staying with her will make you into a worse person over time. If she wants an emotionally unavailable man, let her find one instead of making you into one." - farialyton
"My fiancée is very supportive if I get emotional, even for a movie or a show. We connect over these kinds of things. Find yourself a woman who values who you are." - Gheerdan
"The moment I knew my wife was the one was when I had a moment and broke down crying, and rather than mock or ridicule me, she encouraged me to feel what I was feeling and supported me. OP deserves better, deserves a partner who encourages embracing emotions and feelings." - No_Vacation5971
"Dude, I'm a 57-year-old man, and I cry at the end of 'Iron Giant' EVERY GODDAMN TIME. The Siren singers in the 'Hercules' Disney movie always make me tear up, and I have no idea why."
"Having emotions is being human. We don't make fun of people being human. My wife would NEVER do that. Be with someone you can actually trust to be with." - lpmiller
"It's very difficult to show vulnerability when your parents consistently invalidated your feelings when you were a child. I find it extremely disappointing and concerning that she mocked you the first time you felt safe enough to cry in her presence."
"This doesn't sound like it will be limited to this one incident. She seems to lack empathy. You'll probably start feeling like you can't be yourself around her and mask your emotions."
"NTA. She was being insensitive and doubled down when you called her out instead of taking responsibility and apologising. Those are huge red flags. Run." - NoRealyImOkay
The subReddit was furious on the OP's behalf for how his hopefully-ex-girlfriend treated him and what this surely promised about his future if he were to stay with her.
Not only would he likely limit what he shared with her, but he would also become less and less true to himself by minimizing his emotions. No relationship was worth that.
