‘Relationships’ at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life, Page 5

There’s no need to “red flag” action that you’re willing to take if the disturbed character won’t change. Don’t threaten, just take action.

Accepting our physical dependence is easy. We rely on oxygen, nourishment and so on without a thought. Accepting our dependence on other people can often be much trickier.

In the course of human relations, we frequently make agreements with one another. Because disturbed characters are not reliable, trustworthy, or prone to play fairly, making any kind of agreements with them can be a risky business indeed.

The point of contemplating our future death is to bring us back to a vivid consciousness of the here and now. The purpose is to clarify the choices we have, to have a sense of our priorities so that we can take steps to shape our lives around them.

If you find yourself “drained” in a relationship, chances are you’re doing way too much to make things work and not keeping the weight of responsibility where it belongs.