15 Subtle Ways The Universe Tries To Warn You About Someone Who's Bad News
The universe wants you to stay away from this person.
Gabriel Silvero | Unsplash I’m a true believer that the universe will make things happen if it wants you to meet someone who will change your life. I also believe that the universe will occasionally warn us when someone isn’t right for us and will do what it can to keep that person away from us at all costs.
Listening and getting a vibe of where you’re supposed to be in the universe is a really easy way to make your life better. Refusing to listen to those signals, on the other hand, can cause serious problems for you.
Worried that the person you’re with isn’t right for you or isn’t the one you’re fated to be with? It could be a toxic relationship — and the universe will give you signs.
Here are 15 subtle ways the universe tries to warn you about someone who's bad news:
1. Your friends warn you about them
Generally speaking, friends look out for each other. If your friends hate their guts or try to get you to avoid that person, that may be the universe’s way of saying it’s a no-go. You may want to listen to your friends.
2. Every single time you try to hang out with this person, something negative comes up shortly afterward
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This might be a coincidence, or it might be something else. You might not know until the bullet you’re potentially dodging is dodged. Either way, do you really want to risk it?
3. The more you hang out with them, the worse your habits become
Sometimes, the universe shows us the signs of a toxic relationship and that someone’s bad for us in subtle ways, and that includes our own behavior.
Do you find yourself being bullied more often? Do you find yourself tolerating things you normally would never accept? That may be the world’s way of saying that you need to bail on them.
4. If you’re happy hanging out with them, you get the feeling that your relationship is only temporary
Have you ever had a gut feeling that tells you that a relationship is temporary, despite every indicator that it can go the full length? It’s a weird, nagging feeling to experience, but it’s one that’s so pervasive, it’s hard to actually ignore it.
Truthfully, you’ll usually find you’re best off listening to it rather than waiting for that vibe to subside.
5. You randomly hear or see clues about awful relationships or single life when you're with the person
Sometimes, it might be a newspaper clipping that talks about a woman killed by her husband. Other times, you see it on the front page of your favorite dating site. Whatever it is, it seems like there’s every warning out there not to date when you’re around them.
While there's no scientific basis for the universe sending signs, some research explores how individuals interpret coincidences and events as signals, potentially influencing their relationship decisions, which can lead to positive and negative outcomes. While intuition can be a valuable tool, it's important to distinguish between genuine insights and wishful thinking or confirmation bias regarding relationships.
6. Something about them doesn’t sit right with you, despite them acting totally normal
Believe it or not, this is something many women who have met serial killers recall feeling. Those who acted on that vibe and avoided them are still alive because of it. Sadly, it’s safe to say that not all who ignored it can say the same.
7. You feel oddly drained after talking to them
If the interactions you have with them leave you feeling drained, depressed, or otherwise down, it’s safe to say you should stay away. That’s your body’s way of saying “no bueno.”
8. They end up worsening situations around you, even if they don’t mean to
Does this person always seem to have problems following them? That may be a signal that they are not going to be good for you even if they themselves are not a bad person.
9. It feels like everyone is trying to pull you two apart for one reason or another
If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. If the entire world is basically against you, chances are that you two are not meant for the long term, or that something is trying to make sure that you don’t stay together for a reason you may not be aware of quite yet.
10. You begin to get a 'grin and bear it' vibe around them
Do you feel like you have to be polite just to keep up appearances? Life is not about pretending to be happy because you don’t see things getting better; it’s about actually standing up for yourself enough to be able to find real happiness.
While accepting something unpleasant without complaining can be a short-term coping mechanism, addressing underlying relationship issues is crucial for long-term health. A study by the University of Nebraska at Omaha recommended open communication, vulnerability, and direct problem-solving as key to building strong, fulfilling relationships.
11. All of your interactions with the person feel forced on you
A lot of the worst people for our health are people that we keep around, just because it’d be “rude” or otherwise considered wrong to refuse to speak to them.
If you feel like people are trying to force their way into your life, it’s time to tell them to kick rocks because, most of the time, people who do this are not the people you want around you.
12. They seem way too good to be true, to the point that you don’t trust them.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch, just like there’s no such thing as a perfect person. If someone seems way too perfect, it’s possible that they are hiding something that you don’t want to find out about.
13. You're having odd dreams about them
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The universe communicates with us through our dreams more often than you may think. That's why there are so many spiritual interpretations of different dreams like our teeth falling out or dreaming of an ex-love.
Pay attention to how the dream feels when this person appears in them. Your dream can be full of warning signs that you need to let go, especially if you feel drained once you wake up from it.
14. They don't respect your boundaries
Boundaries are set with intention and if someone crosses them, consider it a sign from the universe that you're being drawn to a giant red flag. You should be surrounding yourself with people who respect and care about you, as well as your boundaries.
15. Above all, strange coincidences keep happening that make you feel like something isn’t right
Maybe it’s someone offhandedly telling you about a situation with a person of the same name, or maybe it’s seeing bad omens around them. No matter what it is, you’ll usually know it when you see it.
The excitement and anticipation of a new romantic interest can heighten our sensitivity to seemingly meaningful events. A 2023 study found that this can make us more likely to interpret random occurrences as signs of a special connection. After an event occurs, we believe we could have predicted it, even if we couldn't. This can lead us to see coincidences as 'meant to be' after the fact, even if they weren't.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.