Short Meditation on "Unrequited Love" pt. 4

It is impossible to broach the subject of unrequited love without discussing guilt. Unrequited love situations are, by definition, dysfunctional. But what makes them dysfunctional? Is it the person who does not return the love? Is it the person who expects or desires love to be returned? Is it the person or situation that is in the way of this love?

Guilt is a weapon of manipulation. It is a bit much to assume that most people want to be "good people." It is a completely different issue to assume that people don't want to be seen as "bad people" by others. Guilt is a function of perception.

The truth is that we are all guilty. We are guilty for our thoughts. We are guilty for our actions. We are guilty for our lack of actions. We are guilty for what others may or may not think of us regardless of we are trying or not trying to do.

Guilt is not an objective fact, beyond the understanding that we are guilty for everything we do. Once this is understood, guilt no longer matters. All that matters is understanding yourself: your limits, your self-judgments, and your willingness to face yourself with open, clear eyes.

The truth is that we choose everything for ourselves, including our problems. Any unrequited love situation is also a choice of everyone involved.