When dating, life seems so beautiful and perfect that every problem seems minor and easily conquerable. You also temporarily lose the ability to notice anything wrong happening to you. However, what you dismiss as your partner’s minor behavioral quirk today can become the reason for your insecurities and unhappiness in the future.
When you are dating someone, it is essential you pay close attention to their behavior and quirks and never ignore the red flags that warn you of them. Have a look at the following red flags in dating and see if you ever experienced any of them.
35 Red Flags In Dating
1. They indulge in negging
Negging involves giving backhanded compliments to shatter someone’s self-confidence. For instance, they tell you, “Wow! You look pretty today. I wish you wore makeup every day.” Negging can make you doubt your self-worth.
2. They body-shame you
They leave no stone unturned to comment on your body. Even when you are trying to enjoy a meal, they quickly call you out for having something that will make you gain more pounds. It can hurt your feelings and make you hate your body.
3. They never compromise
Compromising helps maintain peace in a relationship. If your dating partner never budges, and you are always the one compromising, it is not a good thing. Eventually, you will feel tired of giving in to their wishes and never being able to have your way.
4. They are too aggressive
If they tend to chuck things or break something when angry, it is a sign of aggressiveness. If they ever get abusive with you, they are not meant for you. Seek the first way out and avoid them.
5. They are domineering
Control freaks try to make you do things their way by explaining how it is for your good, when in reality, they are just manipulating you. If they are the ones calling all the shots and you feel your personal space is being invaded, know that entering into a serious relationship with them will be torturous.
6. They always complain
It is okay to share your views and opinions with your dating partner, but it is not healthy to complain non-stop. If your partner almost always has a problem with everything you do or say or criticizes everything within sight, they are not the right person for you.
7. They want to get physical too soon
You have just started dating and hardly know each other. However, they coax you to sleep with them despite sensing your discomfort. It is a telltale sign that the person is wrong for you.
8. They are fiercely possessive
Possessiveness may seem cute at first, but it can lead to jealousy and mistrust if it gets out of hand. Their possessive behavior can prompt them to stalk you and ensure that you stay away from people you love and become dependent on them.
9. They are self-centered
A self-centered person makes a relationship all about themselves. They use you only until you fulfill their needs and have absolutely no consideration for your feelings. They even blame you for anything that hurts them.
10. They are dishonest
A relationship cannot survive for long when there is a lack of honesty between partners. Your dating partner may have numerous reasons to lie to you. They do not pick up your calls or text you promptly, and they even miss dates. These show their lack of respect for you.
11. They are still in love with their ex
It is a little over a month since you started seeing them. However, do they still talk about their ex? If yes, they are not over them yet. If the ex happens to contact them, they will surely leave you to go back to their ex.
12. They always find fault with you
No matter what you do or how well you do it, they always find some fault with it. They are never happy with anything you do. What they claim to be constructive criticism can prove destructive for your self-confidence.
13. They guilt-trip you into doing things
A manipulative person often tries to guilt-trip you into doing things you disapprove of. When you refuse them, they try to pressurize you and scare you of the repercussions, coercing you to comply. If your date makes you do something you are not comfortable doing, it is a big sign that they are unsuitable for you.
14. They do not keep their words
They make thousands of promises but seldom keep even one of them. They proclaim their love for you daily, but you never get to see their love in their actions. Judge them by their actions and not their words.
15. They are rude to people providing services
People who are rude to service-providing staff today can be rude to you too in the future. When they fail to show respect for people, irrespective of who they are or what they do, they will not hesitate to disrespect you too.
16. They always blame other people
A cynical person is never happy in life and always blames others for their misfortunes. It can be their parents, siblings, teachers, co-workers, or just about anyone they can think of. They never take responsibility and are always looking to curse others for their unhappiness. If your date is one such person, keep a safe distance from them.
17. They never listen to you
Do they ever listen to what you say, or are they always bragging about themselves? A bad listener hardly ever asks questions, and even if they do, they do not wait to listen to what you have to say and somehow steers the conversation toward themselves.
18. They hesitate to make your relationship public
You have gone out on enough dates, yet when it comes to making the relationship official, they hesitate. Your relationship status reads ‘committed’ on social media, while theirs remains ‘single’. They may not post lovey-dovey couple pictures, and that’s understood, but if they are consciously hiding your relationship, it is a warning sign.
19. They do not support your dreams
You tell them you wish to work independently someday, and all they do is laugh. You tell them how you dreamt of becoming an astronaut growing up, and they remind you of your low grades in school. Forget encouragement; they never take your dreams or ambitions in life seriously. They offer no support and instead dissuade you by often mocking you.
20. They cancel plans without prior notification
They often agree to your plans, but then cancel them at the last moment. When you confront them, they shrug and say they were not in the mood or they wanted to watch something on TV. They don’t even try to come up with a good excuse and have no problem hurting your feelings.
21. They do not introduce you to their friends
Even after dating for a while, they never introduce you to their friends. You may have heard countless stories about their friends but never once have they suggested you meet them. This indicates they are not sure about you and the relationship.
22. They do not get along with your friend circle
When someone likes you, they will make all efforts to impress or be good to people close to you. You may have introduced them to your friends, but they never even try to be nice to your friends and also dislikes them. This is a clear indicator that you are with the wrong person.
23. They keep secrets from you
People slowly divulge information about themselves after a few dates. But if you learn that whatever they have told you is not the complete truth, and they have withheld certain essential details of their life, it is a huge red flag, and you need to clear it out as soon as possible.
24. They check out other people in front of you
It is a human tendency to look at someone who looks good. But it is rude to stare at them in the presence of your date. If your partner often eyes other people in front of you, know that they have no respect for you, and you are better off without them.
25. They take hours to reply to your text
You have your phone glued to your hand because you do not wish to miss a single message from them. However, they might not feel the same and take hours to reply. You tirelessly type long messages, but all they can reply to you is a ‘hmm.’ If this happens with you often, know that they do not have the same feelings for you.
26. They are disrespectful to their parents
Some people do not get along with their parents for one reason or another. But if your dating partner has no specific reason and is downright rude and disrespectful to their wonderful parents who have nothing but love for their child, know that they they will treat others around them, including you, in the same way.
27. They are unable to form meaningful relationships
Having short-term relationships in the past does not make a person unsuitable for you. But if, in addition to this, they also lack good relations with their family and do not have friends, there must be something amiss. And you need to find out why they are unable to maintain good relations with other people.
28. They never include you in their plans
Do they speak about their future but avoid mentioning your place in it? Or do they always ignore any topic regarding your future together? If yes, it suggests they are ready to dump you the moment they see an opportunity.
29. They check your phone and social media
They may cleverly hide certain vital aspects of their life from you but demands to know everything about you. They check your phone frequently and stalk your social media to keep a tab on you. It is not worth dating someone who doesn’t trust you.
30. They press you to change yourself
When you started seeing each other, they seemed to love everything about you, but now, they nitpick about even the most trivial things. They feel irritated by the way you laugh, dress, walk, and even breathe. If they often press you to change yourself, then be sure that they are not suitable for you.
31. They never apologize
It does not matter if you are wrong or right; you are always the one apologizing. This is because you value them and want to maintain peace. However, refusing to admit their mistakes shows that their ego has a place higher than you in their life.
32. They have separate rules
You are not allowed to hang out with friends, but they can drink even during the week. You have to keep them notified of your whereabouts, but they never bother to inform you even when working late. When the rules apply only to you, it suggests you don’t matter to them.
33. They make too many demands
They demand you to do stuff instead of requesting you. They order you to stop wearing a certain type of clothes or avoid meeting people they don’t like. In short, they dictate your life.
34. They never seek your opinion
Your opinion is neither valued nor sought. They do not think highly of you and openly disregard your views and opinions. No matter who you are dating, if they make you feel unimportant, they are not worth a second of your life.
35. They are of volatile nature
Dealing with a person with unpredictable mood patterns can be mentally taxing and stressful. You are often scared to approach them because you are never sure how they might react to something. A joke they found funny yesterday might make them lose their mind today. Such behavior can lead to abusive relationships.
Do not be apprehensive after reading the above red flags in dating, but be a little mindful when seeking a romantic partner. The initial attraction you have for someone when dating can suppress your ability to think rationally. However, your instinct will always come to your rescue, and if you ever feel something is wrong, find out the reason behind the uneasy feeling and do not stop until you are fully content.
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