Relationship Red Flags for Men: 14 Red Flags to Look for in a Relationship

This article reveals the red flags that are often missed in relationships, but should be looked for. Relationship experts claim they can help you make wiser choices and avoid potential heartbreak.

The “10 red flags not to ignore when dating someone new” is a list of 14 red flags that can be found in a relationship. The list includes things like lying, cheating, and being abusive.

You’ve undoubtedly had a buddy who began dating a lady who made you think twice. She was erratic, possessive, and full of melodrama. Everyone could see how poisonous the gal was and how she was pulling your guy down…everyone except your buddy, that is.

“That would never happen to me,” you assure yourself.

Then it happens.

What’s going on? How can individuals end up in toxic relationships despite the fact that there were warning indicators that their spouse was awful to begin with?

Answer: love has blinded us.

Seriously.

Researchers at the University College London discovered that “love sentiments led to a reduction of activity in the regions of the brain directing critical cognition” using MRI scanners. It seems that when we become closer to someone, the brain concludes that assessing their character and personality is no longer necessary.”

Feel-good chemicals and hormones like oxytocin and dopamine distort our judgment even more than romantic love suppresses our critical thinking. Love offers us a drug-like “high,” and it feels so wonderful that we disregard the warning signs that are there in front of us. If you do notice a girl’s unfavorable conduct or attitude, you’re probably going to downplay it, dismissing it as a nice quirk or convincing yourself, “Oh, it’s not that awful.” Besides, maybe I can be the one to assist her in improving.”

Don’t deceive yourself. You can’t make your spouse change; it needs to happen on their own. Furthermore, difficulties that you detect at the start of a relationship tend to intensify as the partnership progresses. “The good doesn’t always endure, and the bad typically becomes worse,” says marriage expert Dr. John Van Epp in his book, How to Avoid Falling in Love With a Jerk.

“Well, dammit,” you say, “I’m a masculine guy.” In a relationship, I don’t allow my emotions get the better of me. “I’m a sensible thinker.”

Keep your cool, chief. Males, especially men in their mid-twenties, “often fall in love quicker than women and are the first to take the lead in speaking words of love in the early phases of the relationship,” according to some study. Women, on the other hand, are often more hesitant in the early stages of a relationship. To put it another way, just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you’re immune to love blindness.

Knowing that your judgment is skewed, it’s critical to approach any meaningful relationship with both your intellect and your emotions in mind. You must be able to separate yourself from the intense feelings you’re going to experience in a new relationship in order to see any warning signals that suggest you’re headed for a relationship that will end in disaster. This is especially true if you’re thinking about getting married.

But what should you watch out for in terms of red flags? While each guy has his own set of relationship red flags or deal breakers, psychologists and marital specialists have discovered that there are a few common red signals to be wary of. The majority of them are patterns of behavior in your spouse that will almost certainly (but not always) lead to a difficult relationship in the future.

Some of these red flags won’t surface for a time since individuals are normally on their best behavior during the start of a relationship. Deep-seated patterns normally begin to present themselves around the three-month mark, according to Dr. Van Epp. Because of this lag, he and other relationship specialists advise that you take love connections slowly.

Researchers and therapists suggest that you check for some of the usual red flags in a relationship.

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1. She calls herself the “Drama Queen.” Be wary of women who not only profess to be Drama Queens, but also seem to enjoy it. When life seems to be a bit monotonous or flat, drama queens will go out of their way to stir up a quarrel. They are often impulsive and insist on being the focus of attention at all times. It’s worth noting that Drama Queendom isn’t only a flaw in a character; it might also be a psychiatric condition known as “histrionic personality disorder.” Who’d have guessed?

Drama Because of their gregarious and sometimes seductive dispositions, queens may be quite tempting and desirable at the beginning of a relationship. However, the act wears thin after a time, and frequent drama in a long-term relationship only serves to make people unhappy.

2. You despise all of her pals. You don’t have to be “besties” with her pals, but if the prospect of spending an hour with one of them makes you want to run out in front of a speeding car, you should be worried about your relationship with her. “Birds of a feather flock together,” as the old proverb goes. Your significant other’s buddies are likely to have similar interests, temperaments, and opinions. You’re more likely to notice her friends’ excessively unpleasant actions and attitudes since you’re not in love with them. But, since you’re smitten with your lady, you’re probably ignoring or disregarding her similar habits and attitudes.

If you can’t tolerate being around her friends right now, there’s a good chance you’ll feel the same way about your girlfriend in the future. After the “Fog of Love” has passed, don’t be shocked if your lady becomes exactly like her bothersome buddy.

3. She claims that ALL of her ex-boyfriends are jerks. It’s possible that each and every guy she’s ever dated has been a jerk. What does it imply about her judgment, and what is it about her nature that pulls her to losers if that’s the case? Because individuals tend to follow the same scripts and patterns in different relationships, this also suggests you’re probably a jerk.

The most plausible scenario is that some — but not all — of her ex-boyfriends were jerks, and she’s exaggerating her part in the breakups. This situation is equally troubling, since it demonstrates a lack of self-awareness and a refusal to accept responsibility. We’ve all heard stories of people who were dismissed from jobs, gotten poor grades, or were dumped because their employer was envious, their professor was out to get them, or their girlfriend was insane. It’s never because of them. Relationships with this sort of individual should be avoided like the plague.

4. She’s a knucklehead. We all know that trust is a crucial component of a great, healthy relationship, and it’s difficult to trust someone who constantly betrays you. Keep an eye on your girl to see whether she keeps her promises in all areas of her life. If she’s a flake with her boss, friends, and family, she’ll probably be a flake with you as well.

5. She is a jerk to waiters. The way a person treats strangers, particularly those in “service” roles like waiters, baristas, and bank clerks, may reveal a lot about them. Psychologists have shown that how a person treats strangers is frequently an indicator of empathy, social conscience, and moral reasoning maturity — all of which are qualities that marriage and relationship specialists have discovered to be necessary for effective partnerships.

6. She anticipates being pampered like a princess. Resentment, scorn, and rage are common outcomes when one person enters a relationship with a feeling of entitlement and the belief that his or her wants should always come first. Keep an eye out for signs that your spouse has a “princess” mindset, both subtle and overt. (Hint: her sweatpants have the name “Princess” sewn on the buttocks.)

7. You’re always arguing. In a partnership, there’s nothing wrong with fighting. It’s quite natural, and even beneficial at times. However, if all you do is dispute, you have a problem. Researchers discovered that a good relationship requires a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative encounters. You’re going to be unhappy if your ratio is flipped. And don’t attempt to persuade yourself that things will improve if you become more serious. The honeymoon stage is the first couple of years! You’re in major danger if things are already terrible in the early stages of a relationship.

8. When you want to spend time with your friends, she gets furious or guilts you. We’ve written about how vital it is for guys to spend time with their male buddies on the site before – iron sharpens iron and all that. Unfortunately, some women don’t get that and will burst their boyfriend’s balls if they want to hang out with their friends – or they will insist on accompanying you on your previously all-guy trips. A good lady will actively encourage you to spend time with the men, knowing that it is beneficial to your general health and, as a result, to your relationship.

9. She never apologizes or accepts blame for her terrible actions. Conscientiousness, as defined by psychologists, is the capacity to identify and accept responsibility for inappropriate conduct, and it’s a key trait in establishing a good relationship.

“You want to witness a spouse who immediately confesses to wrongdoing because guilt sensations register without a lot of defensiveness or denial.” Long disagreements in which you must persuade your spouse that he or she was wrong or should feel terrible are a cause for concern, according to Van Epp.

10. She doesn’t get along with her family. You’ll most likely meet her parents and relatives as the relationship progresses. Keep an eye on how she interacts with them. Her ease with her family frequently leads to her lowering her guard and revealing her real colors. Your partner’s patterns or scripts from one set of relationships will very certainly be incorporated into yours (Van Epp). If she gets along well with her family, that’s fantastic! In your relationship, you’ll probably go through the same thing. If she’s cold and distant with her family, though, proceed with caution. You could face similar animosity in the future.

Of course, there are those instances in which the fruit does really fall far from the tree. Her seclusion is reasonable and perhaps a good thing if her family is insane or cruel.

11. She isn’t adaptable. Flexibility — the capacity to go with the flow and adjust to changing circumstances — has been identified as a crucial trait for relationship success by marriage and relationship specialists. If your girlfriend refuses to compromise or becomes agitated when plans alter or things aren’t precisely as she wants them, your relationship may face difficulties in the future.

How can you tell whether your lady is the sort to roll with the punches? Take a trip together, preferably to a third-world nation where things will almost certainly not go as to plan. Alternatively, you might take her camping. She won’t go camping – not even once? That, in and of itself, is a significant red flag in my book.

12. You have no basic principles or life objectives in common. Things will be difficult no matter how much you love each other if you and your gal aren’t on the same page when it comes to things like morals and life objectives. Couples who share many of the same beliefs and life objectives are happier and have better relationships than those who don’t, according to research.

13. She’s a thug. Did you know that women are as as prone as males to perpetrate domestic violence, if not more so? Even if her fists don’t damage you, if your girlfriend becomes violent when you dispute, it’s a clear sign that you should leave the relationship. There are some underlying emotional problems there, and she’ll probably do it again if she’s done it before. Don’t dismiss it; slapping may quickly escalate to the use of weapons.

14. She is stingy with her gratitude. Appreciation feelings help to keep a connection robust and working well. One of the things I like about Kate is that no matter how many times I’ve done a mundane task or done a tiny favor for her, she always remembers to acknowledge it and express her gratitude. If your girlfriend seldom acknowledges and appreciates you for the pleasant things you do, your relationship will soon come to a halt.

Are you having trouble choosing whether or not you’re dating the correct woman? Take a look at these more resources:

What Makes You Think She’s the One? Choosing the Right Girl

Also, check out my podcast about seeing red flags in a relationship:

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The “silent red flags in a relationship” is a list of 14 red flags to look for in a relationship. It includes things like being silent and not listening, not having any hobbies, and other signs that the person might be hiding something from you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 5 red flags that can be in an unhealthy relationship?

A: These are the top five red flags that can be in an unhealthy relationship.
1) You have different values or beliefs about what you want from your life and relationship than he does, which could lead to frustration.
2) He is always trying to control you or find fault with you for every little thing, instead of just being there for it when needed.
3) His negativity impacts on your self-esteem so much that it becomes a problem rather than something normal people encounter but still manage to function as they should do these days
4) Your partner has a lot of anger issues that come out at inappropriate times and make him/her feel like nothing else matters other than themself (this will cause more arguments!). They might not even know why theyre angry! Its all very confusing! This type of person doesnt care if their actions hurt others because they dont really see those people as separate beings who deserve respect, kindness, etc… 5) If this person says I love you often enough but never follows through with anything meaningful towards proving how much he loves you

What are major red flags in a relationship?

A: Major red flags in a relationship are things like constantly feeling like theyre not good enough, having to do most of the work and feel taken for granted, or being treated as if you owe them something. These may indicate that your partner is playing games with their emotions and trying to keep you stuck in an unhealthy dependency situation.

What are red flags for a guy?

A: Red flags for a guy include being overly forward with sexual innuendos, if he has an ex-girlfriend and it seems like she is still on his mind constantly, or if the person youre talking to contradicts themselves so much that they seem unstable.