HappyPaul wrote:
CJame and Lady Rain, thank you for your excellent insights.
I think the concept of getting validation by turning on other men is very valid. I mean, the other day she wore 4-inch heels and a push-up Bra to go see the Optometrist. Jesus Christ. Maybe this relationship is ultimately doomed. I don't want to spend the next 30 years in a state of Anxiety.
Paul
It's tricky really, only you can figure out what the real situation is.
The culture expects women to 'look good', so deciding whether she is purposefully seeking male approval to a greater extent than 'the norm' is going to be a tough one. After all, she is perfectly within her rights to wear whatever the hell she chooses, regardless of what you or anyone else think. If everyone else wore sacks, then a push-up bra and heels might stand out, but take a good look around before you condemn her for the way she dresses.
I would have a great deal of trouble tolerating someone who spied on me, but then I don't do things that need spying on, so I cannot imagine how she would feel. I dress to please myself, but many women (most women perhaps) may consider passing male approval a natural part of life, rather than something they actively seek.
And some people need their partner to be a bit jealous, to make them feel cared about - that's tricky if you are anxiety-prone and need reassuringly solid trustworthiness.
Are you seeing a pattern of behaviour where none exists, because of one factor; or were your concerns and investigations triggered by an underlying sense of disquiet, which you don't really want to be true, so are trying to discount.
Can you talk to your partner about your concerns, and find out what she considers to be perfectly normal behaviour for her. You may both have different ideas about ordinary.
You may be right to be concerned, you may be worrying unnecessarily, so don't force yourself into making decisions too hastily.