I am an emotional person. It has taken me countless nights of crying in bed feeling empty and worthless after a sour interaction with a potential significant other. Given, it is not always the other person's fault. When I'm not in touch with myself, I tend to initiate drastic situations that put the relationship in danger. I can be emotionally unavailable at times too. But good grief, I am growing tired of attracting myself to people who are not looking for a relationship but continue to play with emotions like it's an SEC football game. Every day I am learning more about who I am and becoming in touch with the kind of people I want to let in my life. There has been a steady consistency of people who come into my life and step back, which made me feel like it was my fault.
There's a common saying that hurt people tend to hurt other people. It's inevitable because of individuals who are helplessly lost in their own thoughts forget to consider another person's emotions. However, it is not an excuse to be rude all of the time. If you are in a place where you do not have intentions to pursue a relationship in the future, then do not bother in the first place. It is extremely to take advantage of someone, and that is what people will do if you let them. With that being said, don't ever let someone take advantage of you.
The kind of people you attract have the personality traits you desire. Essentially, finding someone who has a similar energy makes you more intrigued. This can lead you down a positive path that brings out a better you, or vice versa. The people who put a positive impact on your life are worth keeping. As for the people who make you anxious, you can not depend on them, you feel reliant on them in an unhealthy way, you have to let them go. When those people leave, your world shakes and you question almost everything you know. When I grow attached to a person, losing them takes a large impact on me because I lose a part of myself when I lose them. As I have grown, I do not get as upset and I move on because I am my own person and I do not need another person to take away my self-worth.
Growing self-awareness grows with age and experience. There's not a certain age or time of life when you realize there is not a single person in the world that can test your worth. No matter what age that be, figuring it out sooner before later is best. It saves a world of pain and a never-ending amount of self-love. There will people that will try to tear you down, but your battle gear is your awareness.