Part 6/11:
Looking back, the narrator recognizes how chaotic and toxic the environment was—highlighted by the cloud of cortisol coursing through both partners during tumultuous times. While in the midst of the storm, it was nearly impossible to see clearly. It’s only in reflection that he realizes how toxic the relationship had become, and how friends and family attempted to warn him, advice which often went unheeded amid emotional turmoil.
He emphasizes the importance of vetting partners thoroughly before committing. Many men enter relationships driven by desire or superficial qualities, only to realize later the underlying issues or incompatibility—issues that they might have caught earlier if they had digged deeper.