The Rules of Love, 3rd Edition

RULE 8

Identify your own mistakes

So where did you go wrong? Well, wrong is a harsh word and we’ve just established that it’s probably no one’s fault you weren’t right for each other. But still, there will be things you could have done differently. Even if they wouldn’t have made the relationship work, they could have saved you having to try it, or eased the parting.

Sometimes there are lessons to learn about who we choose as partners in the first place. It can take us a while to recognize that we tend to be attracted to a particular type and, if that type isn’t actually good for us, it can take even longer to learn to resist falling for them. I have one friend who is such a sucker for alcoholics that she’s had to learn that when she’s single ...