Sadly, it is not uncommon to read people’s accounts of experiences with domestic violence, having their children weaponized against them, being mistreated by in-laws, and worse.
Though as a collective, these relationship horror stories harbor serious lessons that are worth remembering.
Protecting oneself in interpersonal relationships
As human beings, the people we choose to associate with, build friendships with, or enter into romantic relationships with can make or break us. After all, individuals innately and subconsciously pick up the habits of their social groups.
Despite the jarring nature of relationship horror stories on Reddit, many of them share one common theme: towards the beginning of the union, the author noticed various red flags or warning signs that they ignored or didn’t act upon.
On average, individuals, including malicious ones, do not have the wherewithal to run long cons in interpersonal relationships without eventually raising red flags. Many people, before they find themselves years into a bad relationship or friendship, intuitively feel that something is off with the person they’re interacting with.
