I used to think being strong meant never letting anyone see the strain. Keep the face neutral. Keep the voice steady. Handle whatever comes and handle it alone. Never ask for help because asking for help meant you were not equipped for the load you were carrying. I wore that version of strength for years....
Somewhere along the way somebody convinced women to be suspicious of a man with a backbone. A man who leads got rebranded as controlling. A man with convictions got rebranded as rigid. A man who holds a standard got rebranded as judgmental. And enough women bought it long enough that some of them started choosing...