I dated a girl, aptly named, Karma, in my early 20s who went out partying 4 days a week (or more).
I can’t tell you how many times she woke up next to me, groaning with a hangover, saying, “Ughh. I’m never drinking again.”
Only for her to go back and out drink the next night. We had an extremely turbulent relationship and much of it was due to the alcohol. I started drinking more when I was with her too. It was entirely toxic. She’d be the first to do a beer bong at the party if anyone offered. There was no sense of moderation at all in her DNA.
(Not her, for the record. But showing a beer bong for the uninformed.)
But she got into harder drugs as well. And despite losing job after job, burning bridge after bridge, and getting into constant drama with friends, she still refused to go easy on the substance abuse. Karma even broke her arm one time with her drunken shenanigans and still didn’t see the problem in her life, despite the pain and huge medical bills.
She, like many people, was just set in her ways and refused to change out of habit and stubbornness. She knew she was addicted but didn’t care. Sadly, in the years since, she is now homeless and still using drugs and alcohol.
There are many reasons people don’t learn from their mistakes. Sometimes, they just aren’t that bright. And other times, they just don’t know how to get out of their own way.