Why do we settle for what we know we don't want.

Why do we stay with someone we know we don't want to spend the rest of our lives with? Why do we try to tell ourselves "Oh he/she will change...He/She will stop doing that...He/She will start doing that because he/she knows I like it." I have recently found that a lot of my friends are in relationships that have no joy. They are in relationships where they are just giving it their all and getting little or nothing in return. I have a friend who eventhough she has grown, she still wants to be loved and is finding it in all the wrong people. I have a friend who is married/living with a woman and she could care less about his needs. My other friend was in a marriage for several years and it was always his way, and never mind what her needs were. She stayed married for several years under that pretence of "the kids...my benefits...what else can I do?" Even after he cheated and neglected the kids...At what point to you say enough is enough? At what point do we say "My feelings matters...My wants, my desires, and needs matter...what I need matters!" You know when I was married I allowed myself to not matter, until I had had enough and said "the hell you preach my feelings and needs matter. I need to be made love to. I need you to be a father to our child. I need our child not to suffer because you are self centered and self absorbed. I need you to give me what I give. Well when I found out he was never going to put us first, I made the heart retching decision to leave. It was so bad because I loved him and we were married, but I had a duty to my child and myself. I was a good wife and I needed a good husband. At the end of the day you have to know your worth. After all his single friends kept telling me how lucky he was to have me (and telling him) I left to Los Angeles. Out there I was reminded just how fabulous I was. I also was seeing someone who give me all I needed sexually. That was when I realized, damn I didn't know it could be that good...Now I am older and much more secure in my needs,wants, and desires. There is no such thing as a "Perfect relationship",but there are just certain things I know I have to have and need if you want to be in a relationship with me. Take the time to find yourself and know what you need and want, if you know you need someone who will wear high heels in bed while you are making love, then you know you need to have that type of person as your mate, don't get with someone that say "No", but you hope they will change. You are in denial and can't be mad if they won't do it. You can only be made at yourself. What you must have and what you may be able to live without. Don't let people dictate to you your worth. Be true to yourself and don't settle, you will only end up living life sad and unfulfilled.