HOT TAKE: Someone said “this is the first time in history women are dating men for their character. And that's why no one is dating.” and she was right.
I finally understand what Machiavelli meant when he said, “Never play fair in a game where others cheat.” It doesn’t mean become evil. It means stop being naive. Stop bringing honesty to people who study manipulation, stop giving access to people who weaponize closeness, and stop expecting clean hands from people who already showed you they’ll throw dirt. Sometimes wisdom is not revenge. Sometimes wisdom is learning the rules of the room before the room uses your goodness against you.
You cannot spend years breaking a child's spirit and then expect a few words in adulthood to repair what took years to destroy. You cannot teach a child to fear your footsteps, your voice, your moods, and your anger, then expect them to see you as a source of comfort later in life.
Someone who grew up feeling emotionally unseen usually becomes intensely attached to anyone who values them deeply, overlooking red flags in their desperate pursuit of belonging.
Human approval is unstable. Someone may praise you today and criticize you tomorrow, so it's wiser to anchor your life in deeper principles than in other people's opinions.