Everyone is so emotionally intelligent nowadays, but they completely miss the part where love means being patient with someone who's still figuring things out.
We've got all the language now, boundaries, red flags, toxic, narcissist. And yes those things matter.
But somewhere along the way we forgot that people are messy, that healing isn't linear, that someone can love you deeply and still can not have it all together. We expect people to arrive fully formed, no baggage, no triggers, no bad days, no past that bleeds into the present. The first sign of struggle and we call it incompatibility. The first mistake and we call it a red flag. That's not love. That's shopping for a product. Real love requires patience. It means staying while someone grows. It means understanding that two imperfect people can build something solid if they are both willing to try. Stop looking for someone with no issues. They don't exist. Look for someone who's willing to work through theirs. That's the difference.

philosophaire_
Photo and quote: James Baldwin