Kevin Winter/BMA2015/Getty Images for dcpTaylor Swift isn't afraid to drop truth bombs. With every song, every lyric and every interview, the Grammy-winning songstress always has something honest to say about life's most important milestones, like friendships, growing up and of course, falling in and out of love.
In her recent interview with GQ, Swift touched briefly on her song "Bad Blood" and said something that people often forget about: "It was important to show that losing friendships can be just as damaging to a person as losing a romantic relationship."
She's right, of course. Losing a friend can be as devastating as a breakup. And that quote isn't the first time Taylor said something that hit home perfectly for millions of people, and it certainly won't be the last.
If you've ever doodled your crush's initials in a notebook, if you've ever cried over a breakup or if you've ever fallen in love with the wrong person, Swift is eerily perfect at putting those feelings into words. It's no wonder she can write the hell out of a love song.
But when she's not putting her heartbreak lessons into lyrical form, she's spitting the damn truth about how it feels to be in a relationship, from the magical beginning to the soul-crushing end and everything in between:
1. "I think every girl's dream is to find a bad boy at the right time, when he wants to not be bad anymore."
Lesson: You could spend your whole life trying to fix that bad boy, but you probably shouldn't.
2. "Relationships are like traffic lights. And I just have this theory that I can only exist in a relationship if it's a green light."
Lesson: Don't bother with someone who is unavailable, emotionally or otherwise.
3. "People like music when they're in love, but they don't need it as much. You need music when you're missing someone or you're pining for someone or you're forgetting someone or you're trying to process what just happened."
Lesson: It's perfectly natural to cry along with a sad song on the radio.
4. "Here's what I've learned about deal-breakers: If you have enough natural chemistry with someone, you overlook every single thing that you said would break the deal."
Lesson: Be aware of those red flags, even if the sex is super good.
5. "I can't deal with someone wanting to take a relationship backward or needing space or cheating on you. It's a conscious thing; it's a common-sense thing."
Lesson: You are so much better than all of that bulls--t.
6. "In fairy tales the bad guy is very easy to spot. The bad guy is always wearing a black cape so you always know who he is. Then you grow up and you realize that Prince Charming is not as easy to find as you thought. You realize the bad guy is not wearing a black cape and he's not easy to spot; he's really funny, and he makes you laugh, and he has perfect hair."
Lesson: Anyone can break your heart, and definitely don't date someone who uses more expensive hair products than you and/or wears a cape.
7. "When you are missing someone, time seems to move slower, and when I'm falling in love with someone, time seems to be moving faster."
Lesson: Time is more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, time-y wimey, stuff.
8. "All you can do is be honest and real with him as you get to know each other. Deciding not to play games is the best way to go because it keeps things simple: If he messes it up by playing around with your heart, you'll know he doesn't deserve you."
Lesson: Ain't nobody got time for that.
9. "[Guys] can be a part of your life but never let the guy be your life. They can live in your world, but never make the guy your world. Knowing who you are and being independent and strong will be attractive to the right guy."
Lesson: Love yourself first.
10. "Guarding your heart and protecting your dignity are a little bit more important than clarifying the emotions of someone who's only texting you back three words. I've learned that from trying to figure out people who don't deserve to be figured out."
Lesson: Don't waste time chasing after someone who isn't giving you what you need.
11. "If I think too hard about a relationship I'll talk myself out of it...I have rules for a lot of areas of my life. Love is not going to be one of them."
Lesson: Sometimes it's better to follow your heart over your head. Unless your heart is telling you to date a dude with a ponytail. Don't do that. (We're kidding, man buns and man ponytails are so hot right now).
12. "At some point, you grow out of being attracted to that flame that burns you over and over and over again."
Lesson: You will eventually learn to leave that toxic person behind.
13. "If you need to put me down a lot in order to level the playing field or something? If you are threatened by some part of what I do and want to cut me down to size in order to make it even? That won't work either."
Lesson: If a guy can't handle how incredibly awesome you are and feels the need to cut you down, show him the door. Then throw him through said door.
14. "If someone doesn't seem to want to get to know me as a person but instead seems to have kind of bought into the whole idea of me and he approves of my Wikipedia page? And falls in love based on zero hours spent with me? That's maybe something to be aware of. That will fade fast. You can't be in love with a Google search."
Lesson: Remember that someone is more than what it says on their Facebook and Twitter account.
15. "I think that you can love people without it being the great love."
Lesson: Not everyone you date has to be the be-all, end-all soul mate for you.
16. "For me, when I picture the person I want to end up with, I don't think about what their career is, or what they look like. I picture the feeling I get when I'm with them."
Lesson: In the end, it's all about how you feel when you're with that special person. Nothing else should matter.
17. "I think about food literally all day every day. It's a thing. "
Lesson: Fine, this one isn't about being in love with a person, but it's about loving food and that is a relationship that everyone should cherish! For example, we would marry a slice of pizza, if we were legally able to.
Keep those #TaylorTruthBombs coming, Swifty! We're all ears.