If you take a look at my track record with guys, you'd be astounded by how naive I've been. My friends used to joke that I have worse taste in guys than Taylor Swift. I think, though, that college is the time to experience heartbreak. It's four years of your life when you're predisposed to making poor decisions, and your love life is no exception. In the moment, a bad relationship can feel like it's the worst thing in the world (and it just might be), but in retrospect, I realize that in order to appreciate a good relationship, sometimes you need to experience a toxic one.
You appreciate the little things.
In a toxic relationship, every minuscule, somewhat considerate thing your significant other does seems like a gigantic romantic gesture because you're so accustomed to nothing at all. Girls, just because he texted you first on that one Thursday doesn't mean he's Prince Charming. Just because he's moody and mysterious, it doesn't mean he's Chuck Bass. Stop making excuses for him.
Healthy relationships are better than that.
When in a relationship like this, where it's altogether quite awful, you stay because on some rare occasions, you're happy together. The problem is that somewhere out there is a guy who will actually treat you right; your current man probably isn't him if he's treating you poorly.
You never take anything for granted.
When you enter a healthy relationship after a toxic relationship, you still appreciate teensy tiny romantic gestures. When your new significant other does something that's actually incredibly thoughtful and kind, you're over the moon. In order to appreciate the little things that make a relationship good, sometimes you have to experience the big things that make a relationship bad.
You learn what you want in a relationship.
By experiencing a bad relationship, you learn exactly what you don't want later on. In order to know something is truly great, sometimes you need to experience something that is just really bad. For example, if your ex lied to you all time, finding an honest guy will feel even better because you know how truly important honesty is in a relationship.
Now, of course, no one in their right mind should go out in search of an awful boyfriend or girlfriend and purposely try to make their lives miserable, but if you are one of those who have experienced the worst, just know the best is yet to come. Sometimes, it takes heartbreak to fall in love with someone new.
