I thought therapy would help...

That if I got emotionally literate enough, calm enough, self-aware enough…I’d win. But when the affidavits came in and the custody narrative started shifting, none of that mattered. This episode breaks down what therapy actually gave me...and what it never could. It’s not an attack on healing. It’s a sober look at the limits of emotional insight in a system that rewards paperwork, positioning, and preparation. If you’re mistaking emotional growth for strategy, this one’s worth a listen.

Full write-up’s in my posts.

She didn’t get confused. She just didn’t like that you stopped playing dumb.

This episode breaks down what actually happens when you stop tiptoeing around the narrative. The second you ask a direct question or follow up for clarity, the labels start flying...aggressive, controlling, harassing. Not because you escalated, but because the old tactics stopped working...

I walk through how tone gets weaponized when the facts don’t go her way, how calm gets reframed as cold, and how even therapists can fall for the performance. It’s not about conflict...it’s about clarity. And once you stop performing powerlessness, you become the problem.

For the full breakdown, check out the full piece on Substack.

You thought being polite would earn respect. She saw an opening.

This one’s about what happens when you stop waiting to be included…and just send the email. The school. The therapist. The “support” that turned into control the second money showed up. It’s not aggression…it’s fluency. And the moment you stop playing helpless, they call it “difficult.” You didn’t get loud. You just stopped asking…

The system doesn’t reward restraint…it rewards the one who acts like they belong.

Full piece breaks it down.

She loved how calm you were…until that calm stopped doing what she wanted.

This one’s about what happens when you stop performing and start leading. The medal story. The coffee ask. The mask slipping. How soft praise turns into hard pressure the second you stop fetching….

It’s not about being heard…it’s about being handled. And once you stop playing along, the system shows you what it really thinks of dads with a spine….

Check out the full article for the complete breakdown…

The Red Pill decoded the breakup...but it didn’t prep me for court. Frame didn’t help with custody. Stoicism didn’t stop the spin. And no one warned me how fast a calm father gets called controlling once lawyers get involved.

This isn’t theory. It’s fallout. Awareness wasn’t enough...I needed infrastructure. It’s about the gap between knowing what’s happening…and having a system to survive it...

If the system won’t give you structure, build your own.

Check out the full post for more.

She loved how calm you were…until that calm stopped doing what she wanted.

This one’s about what happens when you stop performing and start leading. The medal story. The coffee ask. The mask slipping. How soft praise turns into hard pressure the second you stop fetching...

It’s not about being heard...it’s about being handled. And once you stop playing along, the system shows you what it really thinks of dads with a spine...

You thought asking made you respectable. Turns out, it made you invisible...

In this episode, I break down how “being reasonable” became my biggest mistake...and why fathers who wait for permission get written out of their own story. Schools, courts, admins, even family…they don’t reward patience, they reward presence.

Stop broadcasting, and start leading.

Full essay live on my Substack: https://masonblakex.substack.com/

I slipped last weekend. Nothing loud, but enough to see it hit my son’s face…and know I gave them exactly what they wanted.

Doesn’t matter how long you held it together…they remember the moment you didn’t. It’s not about guilt…it’s about adjusting, tracking, and not handing them the pen to write your story.

Full post on Substack: masonblakex.substack.com

You’ve heard it before...just stay calm and everything will work out. Stay calm and the court will see you're reasonable. Stay calm and she'll come around. That’s the lie. Calm without structure isn’t respected...it’s ignored. In court, silence doesn’t look noble. It looks like guilt. And calm without proof just tells everyone you didn’t care enough to fight back...

This episode is about what really happens when you follow that advice. Mediation-arbitration isn't neutral...it’s a setup. They want you unprepared. They want her performing. And if you walk in hoping to be seen as “the bigger person,” you’ll get blindsided. Things shifted when I stopped trying to look composed and started building a case. Calendar synced...pickups, logged...every lie? Documented. Calm with receipts becomes dangerous. Calm without it gets erased...

Check out full article here

Kindergarten classrooms aren’t neutral ground.

In this episode, I break down what threatpoint really looks like when you’re a father in her frame...from silent landmines to clipboard tactics. This isn’t about yelling, it’s about refusing to disappear...

Full article at masonblakex.substack.com