I don’t think this is a goal that can be attained and then put away on a shelf in a tidy little box. By implication, if I have this goal, hey – I’ve been hurt!
It’s the nature of the game that even in a committed, long-term relationship there will be hurt feelings, wounded pride and even plain old wrongdoing. At this point in the (dating) game it feels to me like there’s a lot more hurt because there isn’t a lot of longer-term positive history to counterbalance the negative, and because people are quick to blow off a relationship for the smallest reasons in many cases, probably because they are afraid of being hurt.
So, like, what about when that one person comes along? He could be someone so right for me…but if my actions are defensive or reactive because they are based on past experience that’s probably going to kill things pretty quickly. And yet, it’s prudent to guard against the jerks who would wreak havoc with my life and my heart like they’re nothing. Sigh…
What’s a girl to do?
