I was on a business trip this week and was catching up on some reading. Mainly I was reading WISNIFG and The Way of the Superior Man. But also some of MRP (like the recent post on Initiate Often, Confident Always). And it occurs to me I'm really failing big time on the initiating and gaming front. So I decide on my return I shall start to work on fixing it.

Get home from the trip, and immediately picked up my game, kino, affection etc. Then went to play with the kids for a while, wrestling / boystrous games (I find these great to reset boundaries after my return from a trip... things usually slip on that front when I'm away). I put the kids to bed and then enjoy a glass of wine with the wife.

She starts telling me how hard her week has been and how tired she is etc etc, so I turn on the comfort. I listen, sympathise, give affection, etc etc. Throw in a few anti-kid jokes "little monsers", "don't worry, daddy's home" kind of stuff. Past beta me more beta me would have dealt with this SO badly... embarrasingly so. I'd have presumed she was playing the "I'm tired" card to take sex off the table... so would have reacted with a comparison of how tough my trip was versus her week at home. I know, cringeworthy. Anyway, new me turns on comfort. After that the conversation moves on to more light hearted humor etc.

A little later, she randomly brings up a camera I own. It happens to be in view of where we are sitting. She says "You know what, that camera alone cost you more than my engagement ring". She has brought up this many times, and previously I'd probably have sighed, got annoyed, tried to justify it "I had more money when I bought the camera compared to when we got engaged", or some complete bullshit like that. This night, I STFU to think. I'm not triggered this time, I just don't really have a response straight off the top of my head. While in STFU mode, she repeats it in a slightly different way, something like "imagine that, more money on a camera than my engagment ring, I was robbed!", just to make sure I heard I guess! But in my STFU mode I had thought to myself "hey, I actually don't give a fuck. Regardless of the facts, it's my money, and if I want to spend it on a 3 grand stripper I fucking well will". So I just glanced back, smiled cheekily, and nodded in agreement. Discussion over, I move the conversation on to something else.

It seemed to work, she was horny as hell later and let's just say we had a good night (cause and effect?). Either way, feedback on if there's a better way to handle these "value shit tests", or even what type of shit test is this?

I know this is meant to be the "kinder" zone of MRP, but please don't hold back.