A catalogue of bridges to burn 🔥

Some exits are healing. Some returns are worth the fight.

The phrase “don’t burn any bridges” has been swirling around my beleaguered brain for months.

It started last year when I left a big software job that quietly ground me down. A soft but nefarious push—one day in the office became three. Optional became mandatory. HR gave me the cold shoulder. My line manager gaslit me with a corporate smile. The company that preached “being human” had no humanity left in it.

And still, I heard the unsolicited advice: “Don’t burn any bridges.”

Honestly? Maybe it’s time we light some of that shit on fire.

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❓ Who benefits from keeping every bridge intact?

Not you. It benefits:

• The boss who slyly pushed you out

• The family member who gets a pass because ‘that’s just how they are’

• The friend who only shows up when they need something

• The ex you’re still ‘friends’ with because it’s the nice thing to do, even though it eats you up inside

Keeping toxic connections alive to stay “polite” doesn’t make you strong. It makes you a container for someone else’s unresolved mess.

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🔥 Bridges that need to burn

Not all endings are failures. Some are the result of boundaries finally being enforced.

I’m not an expert in any way. But here’s what I propose is flammable:

• The job/boss that harmed your mental health

• The mentor who bailed when you set boundaries

• The colleague who “jokes” at your expense

• The family tie you keep feeding, but it never feeds you back

Burning these bridges isn’t necessarily revenge; it’s relief. It’s reclaiming and protecting your peace. It’s them no longer enjoying access to you and your energy.

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🛠️ Bridges worth rebuilding

Some connections are more than their worst moment. Some are worth the work it takes to rebuild things. Rebuild if:

• There’s real accountability

• You both want to reconnect, not just “move on”

• The damage came from confusion, not cruelty

• The foundation is built on care

Not every crack means collapse, but not every collapse deserves repair.

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💬 Food for thought

Burning bridges doesn’t make you unprofessional, no matter what your colleagues or parents might say. It makes things clear.

Clear about your limits.
Clear about your worth.
Clear about what you won’t shoulder anymore.

Let it burn when it hurts you. Rebuild where it really matters. Either way, the power is yours to grab hold of.

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🔁 Your turn

Think of one bridge in your life. Are you keeping it for the wrong reasons? Is there something in it still worth recovering?

Hit reply and tell me what came up for you, or keep the thought with you and journal about it later on. Give yourself time to reflect.