Being with someone means you have to put up with things you don’t like. However, if you love your partner, it’s worth it. Small things are worth ignoring if they aren’t impacting you negatively and are for the greater good, but it’s the red flags that you should be on the lookout for. There are several relationship warning signs in a woman that she thinks you won’t notice — but you should.
1. She’s constantly criticizing you.
There’s a big difference between complaining about things you do and being hypercritical of your character. If she’s complaining, she will share her grievance while remaining respectful. If she’s being critical, she will call you selfish and claim you’re always thinking of yourself.
2. She treats you with contempt.
Is your partner constantly mocking you? Does she use sarcasm often when you’re trying to communicate with her? Do you feel disrespected in general? This is the type of red flag that might start subtle and get worse with time. You’ll need to nip this in the bud if you want to stay in the relationship — if not, you can get out while you can.
3. She is always blaming you.
In a healthy relationship, when somebody makes a mistake, they apologize, take accountability for their actions, and move on. In a toxic relationship, your partner will be slow to apologize and quick to blame you for their mistake. They rarely take accountability for their actions and make you feel you’re the consistent problem.
4. She shuts down when there’s an issue.
Communicating about problems in a relationship is a two-way street. When there is a problem, the best approach is to sit down and hash it out together, giving each other the space and respect to share what they’re feeling. If you find that your partner stonewalls you when you try to communicate about issues with her, this is a big red flag that spells potential doom for the future.
5. She’s insecure.
Do you feel like your partner is constantly asking you to reassure her? Do you feel like she’s jealous of everyone you talk to and thinks you’re continually on the verge of being unfaithful to her? In a healthy relationship, each partner requires a reasonable level of reassurance. A red flag is when your partner constantly demands that you validate her.
6. She’s friends with her ex.
Being friends with someone you have previously dated is a controversial topic. Some people believe you can be friends with past boyfriends and girlfriends, while others don’t think it’s healthy. Again, it’s all about balance. This is a red flag if she is not only on good terms with her previous boyfriend, but also constantly communicating with him.
7. She blows things out of proportion.
Every couple argues, and sometimes, those arguments are about small things like who should do the dishes, and sometimes, they’re about big things like finances. Being a drama queen about every little thing is definitely a red flag. Being a drama queen about every little thing is quickly going to get old, and you’ll find that you spend more time arguing than being on good terms.
8. She won’t leave you alone.
When you’re in a relationship and care about your partner, you find joy in being intentional about spending time with them. However, there’s a healthy balance between getting your own time and being together. If she’s constantly calling you and demanding that you stay in contact with her, this is a red flag.
9. She confides things she shouldn’t.
Women often tell one another secrets, and most of the time, it’s girl code to keep these secrets among friends. As a guy, you understand this, and you don’t probe your partner to tell you what her friends have told her in confidence. However, a red flag is if she’s more than willing to divulge this information to you without her friends knowing. She’s probably doing the same to you.
10. She’s just got out of a serious relationship.
We all have our pasts, which shouldn’t be held above our heads. When you get into a new relationship with someone, it’s essential to consider their most recent relationship history. If your partner has just left an ex who she was with for a long time, this could be a red flag you want to avoid. She might be using you as a rebound.
11. She claims all her exes sucked.
Something to look out for in a relationship is if she claims all her exes were jerks. While this might be the case, who’s the common denominator here? It’s one thing to say that you didn’t get along and both made mistakes, but if she’s placing all the blame on her past boyfriend, what’s to say she won’t do the same to you?
12. She lies about the small things.
There are big lies, and then there are white lies. Typically, white lies are about trivial things that aren’t a big deal, Psychology Today explains. However, white lies can quickly lead to more significant lies. If she is used to lying about things that don’t matter, what’s stopping her from lying about the big things?
13. She likes to get her way.
We can all be selfish in relationships at times, and an accountable partner will gently remind you to bring it back into the middle, where you can both be thinking about one another again. A red flag is when your partner is stubbornly selfish and won’t back down when confronted.
14. She doesn’t respect her parents.
A telling sign of a red flag in a relationship is whether your partner is close to her parents. When you go to visit her side of the family, you observe her belittling her parents and treating them like trash.
15. She says, “I love you” too soon.
Every relationship has a different pace—it all depends on what each partner is comfortable with. However, there is such a thing as going too fast. A red flag could be if she’s poured out her feelings for you already, even though you’ve only been dating for a couple of months.
