The Destructive Effects Of Taking People For Granted
Taking people for granted is a sad truth of human relationships, a mistake we can all make at least once in our lives. Those who are most loyal to us, who never swerve in how they feel for us, who are always by our side in our times of need, are also those we mistreat the most, thinking they will never leave our side, no matter what.
Why Taking People For Granted Is A Huge Mistake
Taking someone for granted is not only wrong because it is a case of harming our own selves by pushing away the people who love us the most, but it is also a massive mistake because it causes them a lot of harm. This is how.
To begin with, a person who has been giving and giving non-stop will eventually grow resentful and bitter when he/she realizes that his/her efforts haven’t been appreciated the way they should. They will start wondering why they even bother and why their care is going to waste.
A person who feels like they are being taken for granted will also question their own self-worth and will end up having lower self-esteem. When it dawns on you that you are the one making all the effort, continually struggling for a relationship in a way that is more one-sided than mutual, you begin to feel like you’re inferior. Who enjoys feeling this way?
A third catastrophic effect of taking people for granted is that you make them feel insecure about your relationship. Once you realize all the input is coming from you, you wonder why your partner/ friend (it applies in all kinds of relationships) isn’t contributing too. Do they not love you enough? Do they not care about your happiness as much as you do about theirs?
This, in turn, will make them grow tired and it will make them slowly give up on you and your relationship. A person who grows tired, disappointed and used is not a person who can remain in love with their partner or who can genuinely believe in their friendship. This is why they will slowly decide to become more and more reserved towards you, keeping their thoughts and feelings to themselves and preferring to put their energy into another relationship that feels more worthwhile.
All In All
Being loved and receiving other people’s attention and affection is a blessing, it is not something all people can claim to have. But, as relationships always move and progress, you need to actively show those who honor you with these things how much you appreciate them and how much you are willing to give back to them. Taking people for granted is a foolish act of immaturity and conceit whose results are often irrevocable.