• He consistently initiates contact and makes plans with you.
He’s always the first one to text or call, and he seems genuinely excited about spending time with you. You can’t help but wonder why he doesn’t just make it official already!
• He talks about his future goals but avoids including you in them.
You’ve heard him talk about wanting to travel the world or start a business someday, but when you ask if he sees a future for the two of you together, he clams up faster than a clam at low tide.
• He is affectionate towards you but pulls back when things get too serious.
When things are light and fun, he’s all over you like white on rice. But as soon as the conversation turns serious or emotional, he suddenly has to go wash his hair.
• He has been hurt in the past and may be hesitant to open up again.
He’s told you horror stories about exes who cheated on him or broke his heart into tiny little pieces. It’s clear that those wounds haven’t fully healed yet.
• He prioritizes his independence and freedom over a committed relationship.
He loves doing whatever he wants whenever he wants without having to answer to anyone else (except maybe his mom). The thought of giving that up for someone else? Yikes.
• He may have commitment issues stemming from childhood experiences or family dynamics.
Maybe his parents had an ugly divorce when he was young, or maybe they were never around much at all. Whatever happened, it left its mark on him.
• His actions suggest that he enjoys spending time with you, but he hasn’t introduced you to his friends or family.
It feels like there’s some invisible barrier between your relationship and every other aspect of his life. Maybe it’s because introducing someone new would mean admitting that this thing between the two of you is real?
• You feel like there’s something holding him back from fully committing emotionally to the relationship.
You’ve tried everything you can think of to get him to open up, but it’s like he’s got a steel door around his heart. You’re starting to wonder if he even has emotions at all.
• He may have expressed his fear of commitment to you directly.
He might as well be wearing a t-shirt that says “Warning: I’m Not Looking for Anything Serious.” But somehow, in your head, you keep thinking that maybe…just maybe…
• He avoids talking about the future or making plans too far in advance.
It’s like he thinks anything beyond next weekend is some kind of mystical realm where only fools dare tread. Meanwhile, you’re over here planning out your retirement together.
• His past relationships ended because he was afraid of commitment.
Every time you ask why things didn’t work out with someone else, the answer always comes back around to “I just wasn’t ready for something serious.” Great! So glad we’re having this conversation!
• He has a pattern of getting close to someone and then pulling away when things get serious.
This isn’t his first rodeo – he knows how these things go. The closer he gets to someone, the more risk there is involved. And who wants risk when they could just stay home and watch Netflix instead?
• He may be emotionally unavailable due to personal issues that he hasn’t dealt with yet.
Maybe there are deeper issues going on beneath the surface that make it hard for him to connect with others on an emotional level. Or maybe not! Who knows?!
• You feel like you’re always waiting for him to make a move instead of being an equal partner in the relationship.
It feels like every step forward requires ten steps back before any progress can be made. It’s enough to give anyone whiplash.
• He sends mixed signals, sometimes acting like he’s all-in and other times holding back.
One minute he’s talking about how much he likes you and the next minute he’s dodging your texts like Neo in The Matrix. What gives?