If someone apologizes but continues to make the same "mistake," that so-called mistake is really a conscious decision. From cheating to raising one's hand at their partner to bilking people out of their money, if a person claims they're sorry but there's little to no change in their behavior, they're being disingenuous. This is especially the case if they've made no efforts to curb said behavior (e.g., seeking counseling). If a person genuinely cared, they would never risk losing you by flat-out lying about their intentions. If anything, we'd respect them more for being honest about their inability to remain loyal or sober, and that might make us more inclined to help. For example, it might give way to a discussion on what they feel is lacking in the relationship. Or, they may shed light on whatever they feel is preventing them from laying off the booze. But it's wholly dishonest to make promises when you can't keep them. Thes...

There are many givens in life, not the least of which is the fact that people will disappoint you . It can happen when least expected, and the ones who let you down are often the last people you'd expect to do so -- like friends, family, and close co-workers. This is no reason, however, to sulk, walk with your head down. and give in to cynicism. Life is isn't so much about what happens to you, but how you react to what happens to you. Experience teaches us how to cope with disappointment so that the next time we find ourselves in a similar situation -- whether we're dealing with the same person or someone else -- we won't be so quick to make the same mistakes. No one likes to get hurt, but it's just a part of life. People are mostly out to benefit themselves -- to say otherwise is to be untruthful. There's a reason why most of us have only a few select friends. I, myself, have just three really close ones, all of whom were groomsmen at my wedding. Bu...