Several readers have written to me asking me how they can deal with an unapologetically toxic individual in their life, whether it be an obnoxious boss or possessive partner. They maintain that they've exhausted every option -- from speaking to them directly to seeking out counseling.  When I suggest pulling the plug -- finding a new job, ending the relationship -- such a recommendation is met with stiff resistance: "I'm too old to find a job, and things are bad out there. I might as well stay put." "I don't want to go through the hassle of hitting the dating market again. Those days are behind me." So, on the one hand, they're desperate to escape a toxic situation that is adversely impacting their quality of life, but on the other, they're offering up excuses as to why they shouldn't effect change? Chalk it up to one phenomenon: fearing the unknown. What is known to us, as lousy as it is, can seem less daunting than the unfamiliar.  The prob...