Gentlemen, there are several phrases that seem to have evolved in their meaning over time. For example, words like "Racism" and "Rape" have pretty much lost their original meaning altogether. This is problematic because it confounds understanding and finding common ground. Oftentimes a new word would do better than to twist the meaning of something we all understand.

We also have a few newcomers. If you are over 30 or so, then words like "intersectionality" and "Simp" were not in common use (if they existed at all) when you were a kid.

With that in mind, here are just a few of many terms that need clarification - or debunking as the case may be. Feel free to add your own. When and if the list gets sufficiently long, I may will post on the other sub. Here they are:

Fell Pregnant: We all know what this is supposed to means, but women do not "fall" pregnant any more than they "fall" into physical fitness. There is literally no such thing as accidental impregnation; Pregnancy is a very deliberate act, and in many cases it takes quite a bit of effort (on at least one party) to achieve. Ultimately both parties must share responsibility for this condition. If a woman allows a man to ejaculate inside her vagina (especially during fertile time) there is a have a very high chance achieving pregnancy. Therefore, this should be called: "Achieved Pregnancy"

Fall in Love or Caught Feelings: One does not fall in love, nor does one catch it - we catch colds, not feelings. These feelings may be beyond of our understanding, but they are far from accidental. One can become infatuated or have a crush that is entirely out of our own control. Life is harsh like that. But love implies a deep bond, and this requires getting to know someone, sharing values that are separate from any romantic feelings, etc. (Ultimately, in my view, love is more of a verb - it is something you DO or give.) In many ways it is a slow deliberate action - if you "fall" into it, it is probably not real authentic love. So in the common sense of this phrase, this should be "Became Infatuated"

Got My Heart Broken: Yes, one can be mistreated, abused, dumped, ghosted, or otherwise harmed emotionally by another person. But let's be honest men - it is WE who chose our woman, WE who tolerated the first few bad behaviors, WE who ignored the red flags. When our hearts "get" broken, most of the blame can be laid at our own feet. Allowing oneself to become bonded with a questionable other is foolish. It may actually be necessary for normal human development - like a rite of passage that teaches us what is important in a relationship. If you had your heart broken, ask yourself if you did this to yourself and proceed accordingly. And if you repeatedly have your heart broken, it is definitely all you. An alternate term for this would be "Failed at Boundary Setting."

Was Abused: Let's be clear about this one as well. Women abuse men all the time. Men also abuse women at times. But what used to be seen as abuse (Physical violence, assault with a belt or other object, repeated breaking or throwing of objects that led to an environment of mental anguish, is now something much different. What is needed here going forward is clarification - was the experience mental (aka emotional, psychological) or physical abuse. Regarding mental abuse, this is again, on you. If a woman (or a man) verbally mistreats their partner, and that is allowed any more than once (we all slip up in the heat of an argument - maybe once a year, if that) then that is on you. IN which case see "Failed at Boundary Setting" above.

Verbal Violence: Violence is physical, not verbal (see above). Verbal violence is a make believe term and should be ignored. "Verbal Abuse" is the proper term here.

Made a Mistake: This is often used to minimize cheating or other disloyalty. Know the difference and never let a woman pull this trickeroo on you. According to Google:

mis·take /məˈstāk/ (noun): an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong. As in "coming here was a mistake"

An example would be making a bad decision, but one that seemed right at the time - like taking a shortcut on the way home only to find it slower than the main route. It implies something accidental, and something that happened rather quickly. There is nothing accidental about infidelity. It may indeed indicate a lack of judgment, but we should not stay in an intimate relationship with someone whose judgment is broken in this way. Let's just call this by one of its appropriate names: "Infidelity" or "Cheating" or "Disloyalty"


IMPORTANT PSA:

On a very serious note. Physical abuse is a crime and should be treated as such. If a woman ever puts her hands on you, even once, you visit the police immediately and have it documented. Do NOT fear being put in jail. Police are being trained better these days, and they can tell who the perpetrator is. Especially if it is you calmly speaking to them in the local precinct. They are smart and they can tell and they don't judge like they did in the past. In fact, they will likely understand and empathize. There are many prominent cases that show that the tables are turning. So you MUST find the courage to report it. The best thing to do is to go to the police station and press charges. Once that is done, you break all contact and never talk to that woman again.

Ever.

The days of letting this stuff slide has got to end NOW.