Dissolution of relationships in any form can be so difficult, leaving you feeling angry and confused. This is exactly how I felt following coming back to a situationship after a year only to be rejected and discarded once again. I felt I had done nothing but try to understand and be there for him when all he ever did was use me. I recently went to the gym where he’d told everyone that he “hit” that, told them I was crazy, but then also egged them on to “chat me up,” to prove how much he didn’t care. It was disrespectful and I couldn’t understand why he was treating me so badly when I did nothing to him. Hadn’t he already done enough? What did I ever do to him to deserve that? Welcome to ego-defensive & emotion-driven behaviors where people go into self-protection mode to save face and shield themselves from emotional vulnerability. They essentially resort to this behavior because they ultimately lack self-worth/self-confidence & the ability to regulate their emotions. Instead of dealing with things from a place of stability and maturity, they react out of self-interest at the harm of others because it’s all they know how to do. At first, I was filled with anger and hurt, but the more I started to understand these are just deeply wounded people and it has nothing to do with me, the less anger I felt. Understanding helped me stop taking it personally and stop letting it mean something about me. In order to help you in that same process, this podcast and instagram guide sheds light on what ego-defensive & emotion-driven behaviors are, why people use them, and how to deal with people who engage in them. In the end, it’s important to note the only people they truly harm in using these tactics - whether consciously or unconsciously - is themselves. They block genuine connection because their fears & insecurities get the better of them. In the end, understanding this isn’t personal or about you, but a reflection of their own personal struggles, will help you break free from the pain and rejection they seem to leave behind. By choosing yourself, setting boundaries, disengaging, working on your own self-confidence & emotional regulation, you can be free to pursue relationships more worthy of your time. Remember, rejection is always an opportunity for deeper self-reflection and accepting divine redirection. It will all be okay.