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They love us and then leave us—or make us leave them. Ex-boyfriends belong to an exclusive category of human beings we never want to see again (at least in most cases). He may have seemed like the perfect catch—smart, funny, and, like, totally cute—but as you spent more and more time with the guy, you realized he just wasn’t cutting it. Maybe he belittled your job or thought that women in general shouldn’t be in the workplace. Maybe he wanted you to lose a few pounds, and said so—in front of all your friends. Or maybe he just wasn’t the man you thought he was when you first fell in love.

Needless to say, he made breaking up an inevitability you just didn’t want to avoid anymore—and that is how your ex went from significant other to just plain “other.” We asked some of our readers to share their own motives for moving on from a previous man by answering one simple question: Why are you glad your ex is your ex?

“Because one, he cheated on me; two, he didn't love me anyway (I just thought he did because I was young and in my first relationship); and three, I wouldn't have found my present boyfriend, whom I've been with for six years and counting.” – Annegi Guevarra, 26, PR officer

“Because I don't need a liar. Besides, my prince is waiting for me.”  – Angelica M. Non, 21, reviewee

“Because I didn't want to be a babysitter for eternity. I'm just glad I was able to turn my life around in the nick of time before I succumbed to his infantile behavior. There is too much nurturing in my field of work as it is—must I also have to nurse my [then] boyfriend? When would I get my actual day-off?” – Apple Dc Nisperos, 25, nurse

“Because I wouldn't have learned how to love myself more. And because I wouldn’t have found the man who knows my worth.” – Cris Bonifacio, 25, CSR

Valentine’s Day: the one rose-tinted, chocolate-scented day a year when, in the words of Björk, “all is full of love.” But single gals the world over will certainly beg to differ. V-Day, in single terms, is D-Day: the dreaded 24-hour celebration of unconquerable coupledom that leaves all the uncommitted suckers sticking out like sore thumbs. Flowers, cards, and candy by the bushel; stuffed bears and heart-shaped pillows; the relentless media stream of I Love Yous and I Love You Toos—it is as if the day were especially designed to make those of the partnerless kind acutely aware of their own solitary existence.

But bitterness is hardly the best way to cope with the Valentine blues. As this V-Day survival video on Yourlovecoach.co.uk explains, feeling sorry for yourself is not the way to go. Rather, you should appreciate your singlehood—own it!—like the confident, independent, modern-day woman that you are. You don’t need a man to make it through the 14th—just a little imagination! Here’s what you can do to ditch the pity party and have a swell time, single-lady style, on the annual Day of Love.

There are men who seem to have been created to torment the world’s women: everyone knows they’re bad news, and yet women can’t seem to stop falling for them. Maybe you’ve seen them, dated them, lived with them, or even married them—and lived to regret it.

Before you fall for another bad boy, check out these profiles and learn why you need to steel your heart to resist their dubious charms. Even more helpful, if you’re already stuck with one of these fellows, we share some tips to help him zap his bad habits and turn into a perfect Valentine.

Peter Pan in Neverland. This guy may look like a man on the outside, but inside, he’s a quintessential Lost Boy who’s never grown up and is still looking for a mother. Immaturity can come in many forms—pettiness, selfishness, an inability to make his own decisions—and the truth of the matter is that in a relationship, you’ll want a partner and not a child.

Tell your boy to man up and pull his weight. That way you can enjoy the fact that happy thoughts have him flying without resenting his commitment to having fun that has you picking up after him.