IMO, some people derive enormous satisfaction from having their intelligence recognized. There’s nothing inherently wrong with seeking intellectual validation. But when someone feels the need to demonstrate intellectual superiority at the expense of others, hijacking a conversation to put their own intellect on display, complete with straw man arguments and condescension, I recognize that as intellectual performance rather than a genuine attempt at constructive dialogue. There’s no value in it, and I have no interest in participating.

Stop apologizing to institutions that engineered your alienation. His frustration isn't the bug; the system designed to shatter masculinity is the virus. You normalize the cage, then wonder why the bird screams.