In relationships, what truly matters was never “who is stronger or who is weaker,” but whether your boundaries are clear and stable. Many so-called “getting taken advantage of” isn’t really about how crafty the other person is; it’s about you not setting limits when you should, and delaying when you should draw the line, which gradually throws the relationship out of balance. Human nature does involve calculations around resources and a sense of security—but this behavior isn’t specific to any gender; it’s a mechanism that exists universally. The real key isn’t becoming colder and harder—it’s building an inner system of boundaries that doesn’t depend on emotions and isn’t defined by other people, so the relationship can run on rules that are predictable.