Why do people stay in toxic relationships? Especially in romantic, family, work, or certain friendships. Are we so poorly educated? Have we been conditioned to endure what destroys us rather than walk away? Both school and family teach us to adapt, avoid conflict, and accept what we are given. Rarely are we taught to set boundaries or leave without guilt.

If we were raised to reject what harms us, society might look very different. Maybe we wouldn’t accept jobs that drain us, friendships that exhaust us, or families that suffocate us. But that wouldn’t be convenient. A society of individuals who know what they want and refuse to tolerate what they don’t is much harder to control.