Men will see a potential in gaining something by being adversaries. Even if it’s a worse outcome by any stretch of the imagination they mightn’t be able to overcome evolved and taught practices of harm.

Many men have to be disarmed before they can get out of predator mode. And high functioning narcissists, psychopaths, … - dark triad types will only pretend to come out.

It’s the difference between your average agreeable person and a highly driven academic. You’re probably going to notice shades of ego with the university educated person. The higher the school status the more likely pretensiousness comes into play during interactions. Everything starts to toxify into a contest of intellect and qualifications.

Men have similar prevailing toxicity. So, creating a road block over excessive emotional output is an attempt at a ‘gotcha’. They’re attempting to demarcate/mark their territory at the expense of the emotional person.