If standing up for myself makes me the bad person, I really don't care anymore For a long time, I was afraid of disappointing people. Afraid of being misunderstood. Afraid that choosing myself would make me look selfish. So I stayed quiet when I should have spoken up. I tolerated things I shouldn't have tolerated. I carried burdens that were never mine because I wanted to be seen as a good person. But I've learned something important: the moment you stop accepting what hurts you, some people will suddenly have a problem with you. Not because you've changed for the worse, but because they benefited from the version of you that had no boundaries. The version that stayed silent. The version that always understood, always forgave, and rarely asked for the same consideration in return. So if standing up for myself makes me the bad person in someone else's story, I can live with that. I'd rather be misunderstood for protecting my peace than admired for abandoning myself. I've spent enough years carrying the weight of other people's comfort. From now on, I'm choosing honesty over approval and self-respect over acceptance