I am a 34 year old man and altho i didn't grow up in a toxic family dynamic where people shame me for being vulnerable and open about feelings, its still something that i avoid like a plague and i avoided.
The only times i ever shared my private thoughts and feelings is when my parents and older siblings was insistent and i would only do so just to shut them up and get them off my back.
Even when my father passed away a year ago, i made sure to suck it up and i didn't allow myself to cry my eyes out. Specially not in front of my wife. My wife is a sweet gentle kind of woman but i still don't allow myself to be vulnerable around her and i never share any private feelings with her even though she claims that she won't use my weak points against me. And in general i always have a positive attitude no matter what when i am around my wife or anybody. I am always upbeat and try to have a good sense of humor.
I only allow myself to cry in the shower.
Overall i find this whole idea of being vulnerable kinda stupid, cringe, pointless and a waste of time when there is better things to do to deal with life stresses such as working out, boxing, jogging, drinking some booze, going for walks ect. When i was young, there were a lot of times where i hear my mom being vulnerable to someone she knows. Either a friend, one of her sisters long time coworkers or even my own wife. She would talk about her health, my dads surgeries, her own surgeries, her stresses and whatnot.
If my mom wasn't open about certain things to my wife, my wife wouldn't know anything about my family and childhood.
The thought of being vulnerable makes me cringe. I always recoil on rare times someone ask me to share feelings.
Who else can relate ?