01/17/2026
“Loyalty is an expensive gift—
don’t give it to people who abuse empathy.”
Some people don’t want connection.
They want access.
Access to your compassion.
Your understanding.
Your ability to forgive, overextend, and explain their behavior away.
As an empath, I learned the hard way that empathy without boundaries becomes self-abandonment.
Not everyone deserves your loyalty just because they’ve seen your softness.
Not everyone gets to stay because they needed you.
If someone only shows up when they’re hurting…
only values you when you’re giving…
only respects you when you’re silent—
That’s not loyalty.
That’s emotional extraction.
Your empathy is sacred.
Spend it on people who reciprocate—not consume.