u/Fluid-Bee-25

Something I have been thinking about a lot lately. I consider myself a pretty patient and understanding person. I give people the benefit of the doubt, I don't overreact, I try to see where someone is coming from before forming an opinion about their behavior.

But lately I have been noticing that this same trait seems to attract people who take advantage of it. Not always intentionally, but it happens. Because I rarely push back or make people feel bad, some people just keep doing whatever they want knowing I will absorb it quietly.

And the frustrating part is that when I finally do say something or pull back, I'm suddenly the problem. Like my patience set an expectation that I had no right to change.

I guess what I am really asking is how do you find the balance between being genuinely understanding and just letting people walk over you without realizing it. Is there a point where being too forgiving stops being a virtue and starts being something you do at your own expense.

Has anyone else had to actively unlearn being too patient with people and how did that change your relationships?