Okay, so I know that this is about filling the orbitals of the atom, and I understand that. What I don't understand is why? For example, an Oxygen atom has 8 protons and 8 electrons spinning around it. Oxygen wants to have 8 valence electrons so it takes 2 electrons from other elements when bonding. But, since Oxygen has 8 protons and now has 10 electrons around it, it has a charge of -2. I don't understand how having a charge is more stable than having no charge at all, shouldn't the most stable version of an element be its neutral state? Why do the atoms want to look like the next noble gas?
