>>76601948
now that I think about it all of my friends who are in lasting long term relationships do kinda treat their respective gf like a child, and they've carefully avoided becoming too co-dependent with them. They do have to endure some bullshit but it doesn't seem too bad and the chicks seem happy too, i guess that what matters the most is managing to reign them in and force some kind of relationship rules on them in the early stages because if you are too passive you'll become their doormat.
Also they mostly reserve their deeper conversation topics for the bros, while with their girlfriends they talk about either practical stuff or about pointless things, which I guess answers my initial question.
Maybe I've been struggling to get into a serious relationship because I've always had the wrong attitude and the wrong expectations