We look for the slightest mistakes to justify our fears and prove that our suspicions were correct. But as the people around us learn to tell the truth and become loving, they will make mistakes. They have to. We can’t require them to be flawless when they interact with us. When we feel unloved and empty, however, and when we have no faith in people, we see every mistake as a threat to our well-being. That outlook keeps us afraid of almost everyone we know, which makes loving relationships impossible.

