Aicila, I suspect it’s a reality for many people. For years I’ve wondered if, in some ways, dating—or at least one component of it—amounts to an effort to try to make up for mistakes made or unfulfilling experiences had in past relationships. If that’s true, I think it’s why, for example, we’ll sometimes tolerate behaviour from a new partner that we would otherwise tolerate after deciding we were too strict, controlling, or rigid in one or more past relationships. In my eyes, it’s all about trying to learn from our mistakes and treat people better but without punishing ourselves or letting ourselves be mistreated at the same time.