Some women are resources. They make you better. Iron sharpening iron. Some are parasites. They drain you. Leave you worse off. And will drain you of your very aura. Only discernment distinguishes between the two.
I once heard this: if someone says something that offends you while you’re right there, just look at them silently for about a minute. Then say, “That’s something I’d expect you to say.” And walk away. Let me tell you, I’ve done this twice before. You could literally see the blood drain from their face. This is and will always be my go-to. It costs me zero energy.
Before filming MANNEQUIN (1987), Kim Cattrall spent weeks posing for a sculptor so multiple mannequins could be created in her likeness, each with different expressions to help sell the illusion of a mannequin coming to life.