Ending a relationship is never easy.
Some couples are at least lucky in that they could bring their relationship to an amicable end, and even remain friends after breaking up.
Others, however, sometimes can't get out of a relationship soon enough, and make every effort to never see their ex-partner again, with some even going so far as to move to another town, city or even country,
However, heartbreaking though these situations may be, there is still something to be gained after going through it.
You will always learn something new about yourself after going through it, as well as more about your partner and even those who are close to you who saw you go through it.
Redditor eNjiKiNg was curious to hear all the lessons people learned after being part of a difficult relationship, leading them to ask:
"What’s a lesson you learned from a difficult relationship?"
"Knowing When To Leave..."
"Be willing to walk away when your gut tells you to."
"Problem with this advice and so much other advice is that you can tell people til you’re blue in the face but it won’t be heard until they live it themselves."- D_Costa85
Ignorance Isn't Always Bliss...
"The things you ignore at the beginning will be the things that contribute to the ending."
"You can’t make someone change or want to grow; they have to want it for themselves."- allison2817
Help May Be Offered, But Not Always Accepted
"Some people aren't in the position to get better yet no matter how much you want to help them."- thorpie88
Take Responsibility For Your OWN Actions
"I am not responsible for their behavior, only my own."- BitterDistribution79
Every Ending Brings A New Beginning
"It's ok to walk away if it's not working."- Gubble_Buppie
Package Deal
"Honesty, communication, and Trust is everything."- VirginNsd2002
Be Sure You Know What Shade Of Red You're Seeing
'Dont let rose-colored glasses blind you to red flags."- GreenEyedHawk
There Should Always Be A Give And Take
"Don’t walk into a relationship thinking that you have to be the one to give all to the other person."
"You’re worthy of being treated with the same love and respect you would give to others."
"It’s a two way street."
"Don’t tolerate anything less."
"Also piggy backing off that, no you can’t fix her."
"You’re not a therapist."
"The responsibility to get mental help for those that need it is solely on the person themselves."
"Know your limit and don’t be afraid to voice it when you hit it."
"Being supportive is one thing but anything more will just ensure they drag you down with them if they won’t accept outside help themselves."- arrocknroll
When You Know, You Know
"You can't force someone to love you."
"Don't expect too much you'll just hurt your feelings."
Relationships Are Work, But Not A Project
"More like a lesson from multiple relationships."
"People aren’t projects."
"It isn't your duty to fix large underlying issues for people that don't want or aren't ready for help; especially being able to receive love."
"Thus, don't date potential."- MostHonest966
Throwing Blame Seldom Ends Well...
"If someone breaks up with you, it's easy to be upset with them and blame them for hurting you."
"But if you allow yourself to be introspective, there probably are valid reasons they left, and things you need to work on and do better in your future relationship(s)."- 7Nate9
It Takes Two
"Sometimes you’re both the problem."- DustyKnives
Know What You're Willing To Sacrifice
"Don’t ignore those red flags, and don’t move hundreds of miles away from friends and family to be with them."- Dangerous_Fox3993
Keep The Past In The Past
"Because of past trauma I was subconsciously choosing the wrong people and programmed for chaos, codependency, and self-sabotage."- Sufficient_Mouse8252
Sometimes, It Is Most Definitely On THEM!
"The other persons actions or lack of actions do not reflect anything personal about you."
"Their choices are only a reflection of them."- schnitzelnibbler
When a relationship comes to a happy end, the most important thing you can do is move on.
But to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again, sometimes the only way to move on is to look back, and reflect.