Not all red flags are noticeable prominently; some require you to look far closer because at a perfunctory glance, one can mistakenly conflate them with permissible or ignorable mistakes; at least that is how it is in the beginning of a relationship. You find yourself willing to overlook these warning signs because the chemistry is strong with your partner. You feel like you are connected to them deeply, and that is why you try to avoid doing anything to mess things up. But the thing is, these red flags that you end up ignoring for the sake of your relationship, because everything else feels good within it, can entail disastrous ramifications over the long term. Read on and learn about these warning signs right here.
Inconsistent Communication
You find your partner being intensely interested and focused during conversations one day and totally lost and emotionally absent the next. You try to assuage the bubbling feeling of unease regarding this within you, but this pernicious pattern keeps on repeating again and again, making it pretty hard to ignore.
They Avoid Difficult Conversations
They are the type of person who brushes off serious conversations and dodges them entirely at times. They would rather deflect the conversation, mock it, crack jokes, or simply shut down completely, making the prospect of working things out and reaching an amicable solution impossible in the relationship.
You Feel Slightly “On Edge” Around Them
There is nothing conspicuously or overtly wrong with the relationship, yet there is a persistent itch in the back of your mind that something is off. This keeps you from completely or properly relaxing in the relationship and remaining always on edge. But you disregard this feeling simply because the rest of the things seem perfectly fine in the relationship.
They Rarely Take Accountability
When it comes to taking responsibility for their actions, you always find your partner lacking. They never apologize, make things vague concerning accountability, and often make exorbitant excuses instead of properly ameliorating things and sorting issues out consummately.
They Make Subtle Jokes at Your Expense
Everything is great, but your partner can’t help but mock you and crack jokes at your expense, sometimes to your chagrin. Still, you end up finding yourself forgiving them no matter what they say or how uncomfortable they make you feel.
Plans are Unpredictable
Your parent is incredibly capricious and unpredictable when it comes to making plans in the relationship. They cancel, reschedule, cancel again, and keep things vague and arbitrary on a whim. They are being unreasonable in this regard, yet still expect you to be totally flexible and fine with it all.
You are Doing Most of the Emotional Work
You find yourself being the one who is always carrying all the emotional burden in the relationship. You are the one who engages in deep and thoughtful conversations, fixes issues, and endeavors to keep the connection that exists between you and your partner intact and sustained.
They Downplay Your Feelings
When it comes to feelings, your partner is incredibly insensitive. They are quick to label your concerns as overthinking or downplay their seriousness intensely. This shows that they aren’t as emotionally invested in the relationship as you are, but you let it slip because you want to keep things calm and tranquil within your relationship.
You Feel Like You are Trying to Win Them Over
You constantly feel like you have to exert yourself to the best of your ability to prove your worth to your partner. They never make you feel chosen and are constantly pushing you to prove your value to them through actions and words.
They Keep Parts of Their Life Separate From You
No matter how great things are between you and your partner, you can’t help but notice that there are some things and parts of their life that they keep closed off from you. They keep you emancipated from them and never fully include you in them.
Effort Comes in Bursts, Not Consistency
Sometimes, your partner chooses to be intensely intentional and shows maximum effort and investment within the relationship. But just as fast as it comes, it abates with similar speed. This creates a cycle of sudden hope and tacit disappointment in the relationship, making it feel confusing and ambiguous.
You Hesitate to Bring Things Up
Their Actions Don’t Always Match Their Words
Your partner is wont to say the right things, ones that touch your heart deeply. But when it comes to backing these promises and claims with palpable action, you find them incredibly lacking and impotent. Their words and behaviors rarely or consistently align.
You Make Excuses For Them
There are many instances where you find yourself making excuses to justify their behavior and quirks to others. Sometimes, you can’t help but catch yourself engaging in the same elucidation to yourself as well.
You Rely on “Everything Else is Good”
After everything, you choose to ignore all of these red flags by focusing on the good things. This is nothing more than a justification measure applied to yourself to ignore the things that feel strange and uncanny to you in the relationship.
Final Thoughts
The reality about red flags is that they aren’t always conspicuous. They start manifesting as small issues, silent doubts, and instances where you dismiss them completely just because the connection in your relationship feels strong and worth sustaining. However, with time, no matter how good things are, eventually things will deteriorate completely, bringing about the tacit and sometimes abrupt end of a relationship.
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