13 Signs A Man Wants To End Things With You, But Doesn't Have The Guts
He's pulling away, and here's why.
Wavebreakmedia | Canva The dating scene is becoming increasingly non-confrontational, and in many ways, that hurts us more than helps us. After all, problems can only be solved if you speak up and confront the issue in a reasonable, calm manner.
The increasingly common choice to avoid confrontation at all costs often leads people to become passive-aggressive, resentful, and downright terrified of walking away from relationships that aren’t working for them. Unfortunately, this often means that people end up staying in relationships they don’t want to be in because they are too afraid to end them.
What most people don’t realize is that guys are just as likely to avoid pulling the trigger as girls are. What’s even scarier is that most girls don’t realize when guys don’t want them anymore until he’s actually out the door. Make no mistake about it — if you notice any of these signs he wants to break up with you, you might be paired up with a guy who’s hoping you’ll just leave.
Here are 13 signs a man wants to end things with you, but doesn't have the guts
1. In the past, he’s admitted that he tends to avoid confrontation
RDNE Stock project / Pexels
No shocker here, right? Men who have a history of acting like doormats, avoiding confrontation, or refusing to call people out on stuff are more likely to stay silent when they want to break up with you.
That being said, this alone is not one of the automatic signs he wants to break up with you but is too cowardly to say it. All this is saying is that the chances are higher that he’ll behave this way if he does want to call it quits.
2. The intimacy has stopped
Mikhail Nilov / Pexels
A good rule of thumb to follow is that intimacy never really stops happening in a healthy relationship. If it stops, starts to feel forced, or if he’s coming up with excuses just to avoid sleeping with you, chances are high that he lost interest in you and wants out. A lack of intimacy in a relationship is a sign something's up, research from 2020 confirms.
3. You’ve found evidence of him trying to start an affair
RDNE Stock project / Pexels
A lot of men will not leave one relationship until they have another lined up. If you regularly find signs that he’s posting online or trying to start something, then chances are that he’s trying to get a “lifeboat relationship” lined up.
4. You can’t get him to talk to you about anything, even his day
Diva Plavalaguna / Pexels
When men are happy in a relationship, their partner becomes their number-one confidante. If you have to pry and wheedle out almost any kind of conversation, he’s not feeling the relationship anymore and just wants you to leave.
5. He makes a point of hinting that you 'will find someone else'
RDNE Stock project / Pexels
If you aren’t married, guys who want to dump a girl but don’t know how to do it might allude to the idea that you won’t be together in the future. If he does this, drop him like a hot potato. You’re worth more than being his temporary fling.
6. Everything has become a bigger priority than you
Timur Weber / Pexels
People prioritize what’s important to them. If your priority level suddenly drops to the point that you sometimes feel like you have to remind him that you exist, he’s showing that he’s over you. Many guys even will use this as a way to “act single” when in a relationship that they’ve clearly checked out from.
7. He's stopped buying you gifts or doing nice things (when he used to)
Yan Krukau / Pexels
In many cases, men will put their money where their heart is. That’s why a guy who doesn’t even get you a birthday present or buy you a drink often is a guy who’s saying, “You don’t matter to me.” Therefore, if you notice his wallet suddenly tightening up, it could be a sign that he’s done with the relationship.
Now every man is different when it comes to contributing to a relationship financially, but statistics from the Pew Research Center show that men want to be providers in their relationships. So, if you were being provided for and suddenly aren't, something could be wrong.
8. He’s gotten increasingly mean, disrespectful, and abusive
Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels
A scary amount of men will do whatever they can to make their partners miserable in hopes that their partner will break up with them. Guys who do this act out as a way to get their partners to do the dirty work of breaking up and also do it in hopes of capitalizing on the “poor abandoned man” image that comes with being broken up with it. Take a hint from him and leave him. No one deserves that abuse.
9. He suddenly has no time for you
Diva Plavalaguna / Pexels
Guys who want to break up but won’t often find ways to avoid “the talk” by just making themselves unavailable. If he never hangs out with you anymore, it’s a sign that he’s over it and you.
10. Whenever you’re together, it feels like there’s somewhere else he’d rather be
Afif Ramdhasuma / Pexels
You know that distracted, aloof look you get when you are daydreaming about other places? If you see him making that same face, checking his cell phone, or just looking bored every time you’re together, he’s already done with the relationship.
11. He stops introducing you as his girlfriend or just stops introducing you to people in general
Antoni Shkraba / Pexels
Men who are terrified of breakups but are over the relationships they’re in will make a point to hide you from the world. This is his way of subtly distancing himself from you, and possibly getting his butt back into “single mode” with certain people.
12. You literally feel like you have to forcibly wedge yourself in his life
Alena Darmel / Pexels
Do you have to throw a tantrum just to meet his parents? Do you literally have to plead for him to take you dancing? If so, this is a sign that the relationship is dead and that you need to stop trying to do CPR on its remains.
13. Everything feels like it’s your responsibility
Gustavo Fring / Pexels
A good sign that he wants to dump you is based on the effort he puts into the relationship. If you’re the only one trying to make it work, he’s checked out of the relationship.
Should you find yourself walking around on eggshells and doing everything possible to make it work, it’s best to realize that it may be time to cut your losses. After all, your time is best spent on someone who can appreciate you and the work you’ve put in.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.