35 Red Flags In Dating You Should Never Ignore

Look out for these warning signs to avoid troubles in your relationship.

Written by Ratika Pai
Last Updated on

When you are infatuated with someone, you may tend to ignore some problems that seem minor or easily resolvable. You may also lose the ability to notice anything wrong they may be doing to you. However, you need to learn how to identify red flags in dating to prevent yourself from getting into a big mess. One may dismiss their partner’s minor behavioral issues temporarily, but it can be a major source of stress, unhappiness, and frustration in the future. Therefore, for the sake of your mental peace, you need to keep an eye on any unusual behavior or words by your partner. To help you have a healthy romance, we share some red flags that you should watch for while dating.

35 Red Flags In Dating

Here are some personality traits that you should look out for. If your date exhibits most of these traits, it is time you reconsider your options.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

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 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.

14. 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.

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 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

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 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

Being a little mindful about the red flags in dating can save you from a toxic relationship. If a man is excessively demanding, possessive, denies your personal space, mocks your aspirations, or is abusive, it is best to consider discontinuing the relationship. These men usually demand physical intimacy and send you on a guilt trip if you refuse to comply. They play the blame game and are disrespectful of others. Pay attention to your instincts when they indicate that something is wrong. Find out the reason behind the uneasy feeling, and do not stop until you have all your answers.

Key Pointers

  • Your partner is dominating, and you are the only one making compromises in the relationship.
  • They tend to manipulate you to get physical too early into the relationship, and you have often felt body-shamed by them.
  • The most noticeable red flag in dating is when they are constantly full of complaints no matter what you do.

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