Just something to keep in mind. If someone is a dick to you, abusive or ruthless, or just hurtful... 90% of the time, it's not you. It's them. There is something broken in them that makes them mean, and needing to hurt. They are malfunctioning.
The last 10% of the time... Own it and work hard to fix it...
But hurtful people hurt, not because of you, but because they are damaged and want to hurt people, and that's wrong.
Damn. This actually makes me want to live in Belgium. If not for the billiards,then for the church bells. If not for those, then for the competitive pigeons... Then the cards. (In that order)