The lesson of encounters

I’ve believed for quite some time now that no person comes into your life for no reason, and that you can always learn something from every interpersonal relationship. In the past, I sometimes had real trouble figuring out what exactly I was supposed to learn from certain people. Over time, I’ve realized that it was precisely those people, whom I found unpleasant, who disappointed or angered me, who taught me a very important lesson: How I don’t want to be, how I never want to become, and (even though I can often be annoying and irritating) how grateful I am to be the way I am. Not because I want to say that I am better or because I hope they think poorly of themselves—I know all too well what it’s like to dislike yourself, so I would never wish that on anyone. -But simply because, by reflecting on these encounters, I’ve learned how I personally do not want to treat others or myself, and I reflect on my behavior and work on myself. So yes, all the unsympathetic and unpleasant people I’ve met in my adult life have taught me to become a person I can love. I won’t thank them, though, because yes, they taught me the lesson, but I am the one who learned and applied it