When a Man Loves the Spotlight, Not the Woman

I learned a long time ago that some men don’t actually love women, they love the reflection of themselves they think women provide.

Years ago, I was close with a man named Marcus. Charming, handsome, polished in public, always ready with a compliment and a camera-ready smile. He would ntroduce himself to a room as if he ran it. On the surface, he looked like someone who adored women. He talked about us with flair, acknowledge me me as “my queen,” and " beautiful ,” all the lines men recite when they want attention and sex.

But in private it was different

One night we were at a small gathering in a bar,  Just music, conversation, food, and people who actually talk. A friend of mine started talking to me about some memories from Elementary school but Before she finished the sentence, Marcus jumped in our conversation trying to flex what he does for me

I watched him do this the entire night, He wanted to be the life of the party so bad, drawing attention to himself, And the worst part?  He kept shouting my name out to let the room know that I was seeing him..  As if trying to brag to the men in the room. You could see it in the way he glanced at them, waiting for nods, smirks, approval.

That night, it clicked:

Some men don’t love women.
They love the applause they get for being next to one.

Later, I asked him directly, why did he do me that?

He shrugged and said, “It’s all part of the game.”

The game.
Not connection.

Just image.

Since then, I’ve paid closer attention. A lot of men love to say they love women, but their behavior reveals something much worse, They love attention, access, and the appearance of desirability. They love the boost, not the bond.

And honestly, Social media didn’t create this,.. it just turned up the volume. Now you can see it in the posts they share, the jokes they endorse, the comments they defend, and the way they use a woman’s presence as proof of their worth.

Love requires humility, patience, and genuine regard.
Ego requires an audience. Too many men are dating for the latter.