when people become hard to love

i used to think i was just bad at dealing with people. maybe too sensitive. maybe expecting too much. but over the years, i started wondering how much of who we become is actually our own choice, and how much is shaped by a world that keeps teaching us to protect ourselves. i don't think i hate people. i think i'm just tired of watching what the world turns us into. and the annoying part is, i still care.