Stoicism, is red pill philosophy, which helps us see things exactly as they are without clouding our mind with wishful thinking or story from some romantic movie.
It liberates you, stop chasing women, go your own way, work on interesting things, don't be sad when things fall apart, don't give anyone much importance in your life - it liberates you from your sufferings. It's called "not living in fake world, created by your imagination of how good people are or how good opposite sex is or whatever wishful thinking".
We know, love as portrayed in books or movies is very hard to find or might be a myth.
Let's have a thought experiment. What if i stop giving attention to women? What if I value myself more? What if I don't open doors for a woman, what if I don't pull the chair for her. What if I don't pay her bills? Suddenly, you find yourself making zero effort for opposite sex and your expectations from them go down. And you no longer feel sad because your expectations are fulfilled as you've none.
Is it a toxic way of thinking? I don't think so, it shields me from major disappointments and setbacks which might end up in depression/addiction of some kind.
Yes, now opposite sex which is used to recieving nice things from me, might see this way of thinking as toxic as it basically ends their supply but increasing my contentment with life.
You can use this philosophy to shield you from anything and everything. Your friend died? No problem! It's raining and there is hole in your roof? Doesn't matter. But I specially use it to shield myself from opposite sex because that's where I've got major disappointments in life and I was on verge of collapse, I am now lot better!
Don't just downvote, help me understand where am I wrong? I come here to learn.