Hello. I am Yaya Tree, and I will help you face this problem.
I can help you with this problem because I have had the same worries as you.
When I was in college, I encountered a situation exactly like yours. My roommates all liked to confide in me, telling me their troubles and so on. In the process of them telling me, I would give them good listening, nodding my head and responding in a timely manner, and they were very satisfied. So whenever they encountered something troubling, they would tell me about it. At first, this was fine, but then I noticed that when I encountered something troubling and told them about it, they often didn't have the patience to listen to the end, and they would always give me a simple response that made me very angry. And at that time, I was the same way. There were always a bunch of people around me complaining to me about things, and when I encountered something troubling and talked to them about it, I simply didn't get the same treatment.
I have come to terms with this problem, and I am going to share my experience with you.
This big question must be broken down into smaller questions and then understood and analyzed one by one.
You need to clarify the first small question: Why do you habitually listen to others? Has the questioner explored this?
First, we need to identify your motivation for listening to others. People don't engage in behaviors that aren't beneficial to them without a reason, so let's determine what drives you to do this.
The first motivation for listening is to obtain information without revealing yourself.
You can obtain certain information by listening without having to reveal too much about yourself.
Sometimes, when we listen to others, it seems that we are doing so to help them, but in fact, we are interested in the topics they are talking about. For example, I am not a person who likes to expose my emotions and personal privacy in life. From the description of the original poster, it seems that you are also like this. Then there are some people around me who are more self-exposing. You will naturally be attracted to these kinds of people and listen to them talk about their family affairs. In the process of listening, you will gain certain information and clues. These information and clues, as well as the expression of emotions, can satisfy some of your needs. Since you are just listening to them, you will also save the cost of exposure. This is beneficial to you.
This benefit is often overlooked, but it is there for those who look for it.
You will gain a sense of value and identity when you help and listen to others.
When you listen to others and solve their problems, you feel close to them and they feel they need you. This gives you a sense of interpersonal value in the group, which can give you a sense of self-esteem and a sense of security. By listening, you will undoubtedly feel like you have friends and a sense of presence in the group.
Now that we've discussed your motivation to listen to others, let's talk about habits.
You have become a social habit to play the role of a listener. You may be dependent on this habit, but you also find it disgusting. So, why do you habitually play the role of a listener?
Your early childhood experiences likely shaped this mode of interaction. Your mother or a close caregiver often vented and complained to you about his emotions and affairs, and you always existed as an emotional bearer and listener. This mode of interaction with people is something you can and should work on. If you are often required to play the role of an emotional exposer in social situations, you can do it for a long time.
You find it difficult to do so because you have long been accustomed to being an emotional listener. When interacting with others, you automatically enter listening mode as soon as someone speaks. This mode is automatic, and if you do not consciously become aware of it and deliberately train yourself, you will subconsciously enter the posture of a listener.
If you don't like this state of affairs, you need to learn to be aware of and practice your state. Express yourself when you want to, rather than always entering a listening state. This will help you be more selective in social situations.
We will also address why you consistently attract individuals who are prone to complaining.
I believe there are several possibilities here:
First, you are used to helping people who like to complain, and you have a desire to rescue such people, just as you wanted to rescue your nurturer.
Second, I believe your social model is very simple. Apart from listening to others, empathizing with them, and then giving them advice, you have not developed other social models. Therefore, it is no surprise that you attract people who covet your model. What kind of people are likely to covet your model? People who like to complain to others, who don't think for themselves, and who rely on others to provide them with emotional value.
The last reason is that you have gradually cultivated some people into this kind of person. First of all, you need to know that human nature is very complex. When you always play the role of the giver, the listener, and the companion who does not ask for anything in return during interactions, over time, people's impression of you will become fixed.
They subconsciously feel that you should be in a position of giving, and they feel out of balance when you ask them for something.
Let me give you an example. Imagine you have a friend who always lends money to others and you rarely see him borrow money from others. This person always does this, and over time you will form a deep impression of him as a borrower. One day, when he borrows money from others instead, you will feel very uncomfortable and out of place.
Your question also demonstrates a one-dimensional social strategy. You consistently play the role of the giver and listener. You need to break out of this pattern to improve your relationships.
Let's talk about why, when you go to talk to someone, they can't treat you the same way you treat them.
It may seem like one problem, but it's actually a combination of several issues. Let's take a closer look at each one.
First, you must understand that the ways people interact with each other are very different.
I have also suffered a lot in the past because I was unaware of this.
From what I understand, the questioner has a clear logic: I provide emotional value to others, I listen to them, and we should be friends. Next time, this person should give me the same support when I need it.
Let me be clear: this way of thinking is unique to you. I believe that if the original poster is ever listened to by someone very well, you will definitely help that person when they encounter difficulties one day.
It's important to understand that not everyone in the world has this mode of interaction. Many people only want to talk to someone because they want to talk at that moment and they only care about that topic, not who the person on the other end is. There are many people with this mode, and the questioner has not identified this mentality and mode of these people. They still treat the people around them according to their own habitual mode of making friends, which can easily cause hurtful situations.
Second, as I said above, your single-minded social strategy attracts people who covet your company. These people lack emotional value and complain to anyone who will listen. They rely on others to give them advice and listen to them, but they are unable to take responsibility for and analyze their own emotions.
It's simple logic. If you can't take responsibility for and control your own emotions, how can you possibly comfort and support someone else when they're upset?
Unfairness and inequality are inevitable.
As you mentioned in your text, when you express some emotions and feelings and say a few harsh things, the other person breaks off their friendship with you. Let's break it down into smaller pieces:
The first problem is what I just said above. People attracted to your pattern are immature in dealing with their own emotions. They are completely unaware of and incapable of dealing with their own negative emotions. When things happen to them, they just complain and complain to solve them. So when they encounter you with negative emotions, they naturally can't deal with it. They even have a sense of rejection towards other people's negative emotions. So when you show them your bad state, they use an immature and wrong way to treat you. This is ultimately because your pattern always attracts such a group of people who are emotionally unstable, have no empathy, and cannot handle their own emotions and the emotions of others.
The second reason is that you don't like showing yourself. You're depressed because you pay a lot of attention to other people's emotions but ignore your own. When you're in a bad mood, you rebound. The other party has no empathy or tolerance. They complain to others. When your mood is bad, they'll act out.
I've analyzed this extensively, and I'm not sure if the questioner has a clear understanding of their own problem.
Finally, I'm going to tell you how to break this situation.
You must practice deliberately to cultivate multiple social modes, rather than relying on the listening mode to socialize.
You can and should exercise your ability to expose yourself in social situations and attract more people who can interact with you freely, rather than befriending people who only vent and complain.
Second, learn to identify and screen the people around you. The questioner needs to develop the habit and ability to screen the people around him. He has a tendency to blindly befriend and give to others without doing a good job of evaluating and screening them, which has led to the current situation.
The last point is also very important. You must enhance your sense of value. Don't rely on the image of a good listener to earn a sense of value for yourself. Cultivate your own multiple senses of value. Write more articles and participate in more communicative sharing activities. Don't rely on solving other people's emotional problems to integrate with them.
I have provided a detailed analysis and helpful suggestions in response to your question. I am confident that you will be able to resolve the issue soon.
Comments
I can totally relate to feeling like you're always the one providing support but not receiving it in return. It's hard when you put so much effort into understanding others, and they don't reciprocate.
Sometimes we attract people who mirror what we need to work on ourselves. Maybe this pattern shows that you also deserve someone who listens and supports you equally as you do them.
It's important to set boundaries. Being empathetic doesn't mean you have to absorb all the negativity. You can still be warm and caring while also protecting your own emotional space.
Your value isn't just in being a good listener. Everyone has different strengths, and it's crucial to find people who appreciate all facets of who you are, not just your ability to listen.
Feeling used can make anyone feel hopeless, but remember, there are people out there who will cherish and respect you for everything you offer, not take advantage of your kindness.