Women's defenses

B. -  You’ve really captured something deep there. It’s true that women, especially, often face so many expectations—internal and external—that it can be hard to feel comfortable being truly ourselves. Those walls and defenses you mentioned are built from years of trying to protect ourselves from judgment or disappointment. It’s like we’ve been conditioned to think we need to be a certain way or that we can’t fully be accepted as we are. It’s natural to be suspicious when someone likes you, because we’re not used to that kind of acceptance being offered freely.

The illusion of wanting someone "perfect" is something that fades with time, too. People change and grow, and love often becomes about understanding and accepting each other’s flaws. It’s a journey of learning that we don’t have to meet every ideal to be loved or worthy of love.