When I was young and inexperienced, I probably didn’t recognize red flags. Then life taught me to see them. Yet still, I do sense them, if only subconsciously perhaps, but accept them in the beginning due to a level of denial. I’m thinking that this red flag wasn’t so bad, or that red flag would be ok, because I want the love so badly. But then when yet another, worse red flag comes up, I can no longer deny. That’s when you put on the brakes, and tend to kick yourself, in hindsight, for not acting upon the original red flags.