relationships can also tyrannize us. We may become too dependent or too possessive. We may manipulate or be manipulated. Our sense of personal worth, goodness, or lovability may become contingent on the approval of others. It is likely that addiction is present when such things happen, because freedom is compromised. Our personal worth and value, our capacity to love and be loved, and our ultimate care and protection are all things that have been given to us by God as our birthrights. When we feel bound to extract these qualities from other people, something is wrong.5
