“You can’t own someone, but someone can own you,” Truman Capote wisely pointed out. The power dynamic in relationships is tricky. And often counter-intuitive. How can it be that the person who cares least about a relationship is more influential in the relationship? Simple. When you care more than someone else, your caring makes you vulnerable. If it’s clear that you won’t walk away — from a friendship, an organization, a marriage, a negotiation — then the other party feels fully free to insist on having their way. In metaphorical terms, “They own you.” You give them this power. They can cross whatever lines they wish without a thought of ultimate consequence.