I felt like this too. I especially didn't want to associate with other women, after I started divorcing myself from the idea that I was put here on this planet for men's attention. We are often taught that that's the only goal we should have as women. We are all taught in ways subtle, and not so subtle, that men's attention should be the end all, and be all, of our young lives, and that we are in competition with other women for it. I think we need to start by asking ourselves what does male attention mean to us personally. If the goal is love and marriage then a woman should feel free to engage, but those were never my goals.

I didn't want to spend my time or energy working hard for a stranger's approval. I began asking myself, what was their attention worth to me really, especially if my goal wasn't marriage and children? I had no intention of becoming an entertainer either, so how did men liking my looks help me reach any of my life goals (although I realize a lot of women get no say in this, unfortunately)? I decided that that was ultimately worthless to what i wanted to accomplish in my life, and bowed out of that game, somewhere around 18. Doing so allowed me to meet and make lasting friendships with women who didn't have competing with me for male attention as their goals in life.