The Cost of Wanting to Be Wanted: Why We Stay When We Know We Should Go

In this episode of The Quest for Self we dive deep into the emotional cost of staying in relationships, situationships, and connections that slowly break us. We explore why even the most self-aware, independent women find themselves stuck in cycles of unfulfilling love, breadcrumbing, and emotional inconsistency. We unpack powerful relationship dynamics like trauma bonds, cognitive dissonance, and emotional self-abandonment — terms that are increasingly searched by those navigating toxic or one-sided connections. Together, we question the cost of “potential,” the weight of waiting to be chosen, and the false comfort of being tolerated over truly valued.

We talk about red flags in dating, the subtle ways we silence our own needs, and how fear of loneliness can make us settle for less. This ...