The manipulative behaviors you’re confusing with love
Are you mistaking toxic or manipulative behavior for love? These are the warning signs we often get wrong.
by: E.B. Johnson
For some, falling in love with someone forms a big part of their future happiness. Humans are social creatures, and a lot of us seek that social fulfillment in our intimate relationships. Unfortunately, though, true love isn’t always easy to spot. Many of us struggle for years with that special someone, only to realize they were never the person we thought they were.
There are a number of toxic, manipulative behaviors that we’ve been taught to treat as love. Rather than seeking to build equitable, stable, and steady relationships — we rush headlong into our passions and can find ourselves crashing into a wall. To be truly happy in a love that suits, we have to be honest. Are they actually treating us with love? Or are they seeking to control and take advantage of our happiness?
Love shouldn’t create discomfort.
We have to get a handle on our definitions of true love before we can find it in someone else. That doesn’t come from the movies, or what our friends and family tell us should make us happy. Love can only be defined by us, but…
