When talking about a previous romantic or platonic relationship, I do not believe any of the following statements can be true: "God, I wasted my time on him." "That relationship was just such a waste of time." Sometimes we feel as if we have wasted our time on someone that we loved or cared for in the past, especially when the end result isn't pristine and wrapped in a bow. But I think what we take away from every failed connection is what we learned about ourselves.

We learn new things every day: whether some celebrity has passed away, to discovering that soy sauce is just the most unappealing thing in the history of mankind. Learning things about ourselves, however, can be more challenging, as self-reflection is not something they teach you in high school, and is often not the most enticing exercise to execute.

"We learn new things every day."

I like to believe that people come into our lives for a certain purpose. I am not a very religious person, but I am under the conviction that everything happens for a reason. Even if that individual was "a lousy friend," you learned how not to treat your friends, or how to handle a difficult person that lacks consideration of others.

"Everything happens for a reason."

Yes, we may be bitter about previous romantic partners, as they might have treated us poorly, like being unfaithful or lying. Or on the flip-side: we might have done negative things to them. No one's past is ever perfect. And even if we never wish to speak to this person again, you still have learned something about yourself: how you dealt with being lied to, or how you felt after lying to your partner.

I identify with the philosophy of optimism, which I'm sure you see stamped all over this article. There is always a silver lining to every situation or relationship. My most serious past relationship was with someone who unfortunately I do not wish to speak to anymore, but as much as I want to be negative about the time we spent together, I remind myself that I learned copious amounts about myself.

"No one's past is ever perfect."

Whether it was a romantic or platonic relationship, every past connection with another individual has value. Absolutley not a waste of time.