We come to find that, in life, as we experience love, we also experience loss. Our former lovers become our current exes, and with each of those people, we have different perspectives that we use to view them even after they've gone. But I think we can all agree that we've encountered at least one of the following people so far:

1. That one you're still friends with

An ex like this is hard to come by, but this outcome isn't nearly as impossible as everyone thinks it is. If the breakup came out of a mutual disinterest, it's usually because you two get along better as friends than you do as lovers.

2. That one you'll always be secretly attracted to

Yep…we all have that ex whose physical appeal will never go away in our eyes. And that's totally okay. As we mutter their name among curse words under our breath, we're swooning from a distance at their body's impossible perfection.

3. The one that just won't let you go

This person has no qualms about blowing up your phone the very moment the thought of you crosses their mind. They are very open about the fact that they miss you; call it a brave admission of feelings, or call it extremely annoying…that's up to you to decide.

4. The one who you'll never understand your reasons for dating in the first place

You still can't grasp just how and why you found this person appealing enough to pursue them romantically. And perhaps you'll never know, but the question still nags at you now and then. Like, seriously…them?

5. That one who creeps on your social media and accidentally likes your old posts

"So-and-so" liked your post from 10 weeks ago…this is either a sincere form of flattery or, more likely, it's a tell-tale sign that this person has zero skills when it comes to Instagram stalking.

6. The one who said "I love you" on the second date

So they popped those monumental three words way too soon…yikes. In most situations, a relationship only a few dates old does not warrant a heart-pouring confession. At that rate, you probably broke it off before the third date could come around to avoid their proposal.

7. The one who immediately started dating someone else the minute you broke up

You can't help but wonder what your ex's true motives behind the breakup were. They seemed upset enough when it happened. Yet it wasn't even a week later when you caught them with their arm around someone else's waist. Either their heart healed in record time or they were planning this tryst for a while.

8. The one you always see in public and have to hide from

You see them in the corner of your eye and move so fast to escape the area that you feel dizzy. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and avoiding this person is serious business.

9. That one you'll always care about from afar

Your friends accuse you of having a dreamy look in your eyes whenever you talk about them. Regardless of the fact that you're no longer together, you will always care about them for reasons you might not even be able to explain.

10. The one your friends have to stop you from drunk-texting

You're drunk out of your head and you're just about to shoot your ex a text when your friends tackle you to the ground and snatch your phone out of your grasp. You might be livid in the moment, but you'll thank them in the morning- you always do.

11. The one who throws constant digs at you on their social media

They subtweet you and caption their selfies with song lyrics telling their followers about how badly you broke their heart. But they'll never admit any of these things to your face, just to the faces of strangers and old friends they hardly talk to.

12. The one you never actually dated, but might as well have

You've talked with them all night about anything and everything. You've kissed them countless times and held their hand as you drove, but your dynamic never evolved into anything official. Sometimes you wonder why that is, but chances are, there's a reason you never dated, whether you know it or not.

13. That one who never accepted the fact that you lost interest

Their ego simply won't allow them to believe that they could be turned down by anyone. They consistently try to convince you that your life is empty without them and their greatness in it. And no matter how many times you reject them, they keep coming back, hoping they can pester you into giving them another chance so they can pretend they never lost you.

14. The one who taught you valuable life lessons that you'll never forget

All of the people listed above may also fit into this category, but we've all had that one ex who affected us so deeply that the pain they inflicted upon us transformed over time into very useful advice. Through their mistakes (and even our own), we learned how to improve our future relationships and learned what not to do to ensure their success. So in a way, we are grateful that these people came into our lives, no matter how badly they hurt us.

You may have had your share of heartbreak, but you shouldn't let that get you down. After all, you have all the time in the world to encounter "the one who didn't leave", and when you find them, you'll know almost instantly.