Why don't guys take initiative anymore?

Because after being proactive a few times, they get treated like an ATM + backup option + simp + tool.
After being rejected N times, normal people will protect themselves:
"If being nice doesn't work, then I should make myself more valuable first."
Guys only have a few golden years of freedom.
Don't rush into being a sucker. Get married later, have kids later, find someone well-matched and gentle—that's the real responsibility to yourself and your future family.
Before shouldering the three mountains of mortgage, car loans, and child-rearing, plus aging parents,
first let yourself live like an actual person, brothers.