Resentment Explained: Abandonment, Infidelity, and Lowering the Pedestal
In Episode 3, Kim breaks down resentment: what it is, why it lingers, and how to work with it without letting it harden you.
This episode introduces a key distinction between toxic resentment and healthy resentment, especially in the context of abandonment, infidelity, and long-standing friendships that no longer feel safe or reciprocal. Kim walks through how resentment often signals ungrieved loss, unmet expectations, and misplaced responsibility, and why learning to “lower the pedestal” can be an essential part of healing.
Listener questions include navigating anger toward an abandoning co-parent, repairing trust after repeated infidelity, and deciding when it’s time to end a friendship that has become painful or one-sided.
This episode is especially relevant if you feel stuck in resentment, carry responsibility for other people’s choices, or are trying to decide whether to repair, redefine, or release a relationship.
Kim's website: https://www.kimpolinder.com/
Kim's Instagram: / kp_counseling
Kim's YouTube: / @engineeringlovepodcast