This actually makes a lot of sense. Not the way I usually operate – kind of the opposite, still makes sense!

Yes, trust is needed if you’re needing others for something. If you’ve decided, or been wired, to go it alone when the early family environment can’t give you something more, then yeah. . .

I’ve written before about how “I” or my child nervous system seemed to turn anger/hatred back toward myself that I (must have) felt toward my environment, enabling me to turn a loving or at least accepting face toward them, which kept them available. But it was “fake” even if as a child I didn’t know that. Or in a way wasn’t fake because I was just doing what came naturally to keep myself safe, which meant keeping my family from rejecting/ignoring me, if I could. But that’s not the same as having real relationships.

Glad that you have a good relationship with your wife. My late husband was a great guy and we got along really well together. He was a real blessing in my life. I could be myself with him, too, as I have never been able to do with other people, except some recently.