Anonymous wrote:It's naive to dismiss the influence of culture. Of course a spoiled upbringing or someone having his own issues affects how he acts, but if there are certain expectations and gender rules in the culture, it makes it all that much worse.
During the long years I was with him (he was Asian), I spent a lot of time within his community, and I saw couple after couple locked in this "normalized" dysfunction where men did whatever they wanted, no matter what harm it did to their wives and kids, and women blamed themselves and each other and totally excused and enabled the men.
There are always exceptions. Glad your Saudi Arab husband is one. Just don't kid yourself about cultural influences.
+1 cultural differences matter (in good and bad), as much as family culture. Someone can react to it and take the opposite stance but even then it still defines him/her (ie being a certain type of father because your dad was a type you don't want to repeat)