Whether we have backed the wrong horse or the circumstances just changed - relationships don’t get out of balance and become harmful overnight. As a matter of fact, we do notice each and every flag. We just don’t classify those flags as “red” because they are too random or too tiny and often rather a feeling than a solid logical fact. So we shut off our alarm system and, instead, devise various excuses. Without our guards up, we wander off course, eyes wide open, willing to persevere under the increasing heat and pressure, ignoring the accumulation of tiny little red flags, ignoring our instincts. We continue to hope and wait for things to prove as safe and prosperous as we initially had determined.
Perseverance is a great character trait, and hope is a beautiful place. However, when we veer too far off the path, we must change course or lose ourselves. We need an exit strategy.