I’ve had an issue in my past relationships. I’ve had a lot of life experience such as buying and selling property, owning a business briefly, have a good career, and my parents are successful and taught me a lot. The issue comes up when a boyfriend/husband doesn’t know something that I do but talks as if he does. For example, my ex wouldn’t listen to me about starting a business and later regretted not setting it up the way I suggested. Another time he was nearly hysterical for weeks about a medical problem with his mom that I knew was likely not a big deal and it was frustrating to listen to him. Another ex had a lot of opinions on vaccines that I disagreed with, and while I felt I acknowledged his views I never felt that he did mine.

I’ve read how woman are supposed to be submissive even in these cases, and I struggle with it. Should I share what I know even if I’m contradicting him? How do I maintain respect while secretly thinking he’s being an idiot? If I’m straightforward they often simply say I’m wrong or else seem offended. I’ve tried the tactic of asking leading questions but it takes forever and doesn’t always get them to see what I’m saying. I’m left wondering if I need to find someone who really appreciates what I bring to the table in terms of knowledge, or try to only date men who have a lot of worldly experience so that I might look up to them, or maybe it’s something that comes up in various areas with any man, so I need to figure out what to do and say when it happens?