If at first you don't succeed...

...dust yourself off and try again.

I'm one of those people that is not afraid to jump back on the horse once I've fallen off. I tell myself that just because something didn't work out the first time, doesn't mean that it is doomed to fail the second time around.

This thought, however, doesn't apply to failed relationships. For me to pry myself away from a relationship from someone, I must have been convinced that either I have nothing to offer the person any longer or they have nothing to offer me any longer. Even when this is not the case, it is pretty difficult for me to be convinced that what didn't work the first time around will work when given another opportunity. Most likely, we are still the same people with the same thoughts and habits and somehow, I doubt time would have changed that.

Can someone help me understand the reasoning behind "make ups to break ups"? Why would I get in a relationship with one person, and then continually return to them when the relationship has failed several times. Can you return to someone that you ended a relationship with? Why? How many times do you return before you stop trying?

In line with "dust[ing] yourself off and try[ing] again," how do you take stock to ensure that you don't head down the same path as the previous relationship that you were in with someone else? Because in my opinion, if you keep dating different people with the same exact traits, you might as well keep dating the same person.

What things do you consider to ensure that lessons have been learned?

[Title taken from song: "Try Again" by Aaliyah (RIP)]