It’s very true that the men who I’ve remained attached to after they began treating me badly have been men whose validation I sought. I did not actually want to be with them. I just wanted them to want me.
Why do we seek validation from specific men, and usually from very unhealthy men unlikely to give it?
In each of these cases, I was blooming and I was surrounded by other men who were interested and who expressed their interest more gently and kindly.