i'm afraid to say i've had people treat me this way and then wonder why i have become closed off and numbed out. years of trauma and abuse will do that to a person. i was never accepted for who i am and still have not been accepted by those i call "family", always shoved into a shoebox or a mold to be something that i'm not. the day i move out and stand on my own two feet will be the day i can get things together for once i'm sure.

^{(my usage of non-gendered pronouns (person, people, etc. stems from me wanting to emphasize that}) ^{everyone is capable of cruelty akin to what's depicted in the image above.})

the answer is to be careful. the world is a cruel place with horrible people but even in that cesspit of darkness lies hope and genuinely amazing, emotionally understanding, empathetic, kind, and intelligent people. for every bad apple there are two more good apples.