I've been avoiding relationships lately...

Q:  I've been avoiding relationships lately, I'm not sure why, but I think it partly stems from being afraid of hurting others the way I have been hurt in the past.

A:  YOU can't hurt others, people themselves decide when and how they'll be hurt, and by who. And if they decide to be hurt "by you", such catalysts are as much like gifts, as they are curses. 

You can't really know exactly what other people need or want from you, but always, you CAN and DO know what YOU need and want - so let these be your guide.

Also, there may be other reasons you don't want to be involved right now, and they may be VERY worthy. Being with someone else is not necessarily the ideal, or "the place to be" - just as much fun, love and discovery can be had without a "significant other", and maybe sometimes, even more. So don't think that an aversion to relationships, whether short term or life lasting, is necessarily "odd" and in need of justification.