Strong Women Don't Beg — We Walk Away As Soon As We Feel Unwanted
Pat yourself on the back.
Vadym_Hunko / Shutterstock I like to believe that every hetero-woman has experienced the following scenario with a man (if not, then you're probably Beyoncé, and you should stop reading):
You like a guy. He seems to like you, too. You hang out, sparks are flying off the wall and you're pretty certain you're going to get married.
Guy picks up on that with his anti-love radar, changes name and flees the country.
You're left alone, sincerely hoping he's gay so you don't have to face the awful fact that he just doesn't like you.
Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but there are times in the dating game where feels like the moment you let your guard down is the exact moment they stop calling.
In these moments, it's easy to get frustrated and feel the urge to blow up said jerk's phone to remind him how awesome the date and the sparks were, and how stupid he is to leave all that behind.
While it may feel like you're embarking on a noble fight in the name of love, please stop.
Sending a novel of text messages will only make you seem kinda insane.
Rather than get stereotyped as the girl who can't take a hint, why not be the girl who ghosts first?
As a woman, it can be incredibly discouraging (and slightly embarrassing) when I think about how much time I wasted pining for guys who weren't worth pining over.
That time could have been better spent traveling and/or eating really good pasta.
Really, all the signs were there, and they were telling me to run, but my wishful thinking got the best of me, and I stayed put until I was told to leave.
Let's stop making these mistakes. Let's stop holding on to guys who are already halfway down the road.
Life is too short and there are far too many romantic options to for us to get wrapped up in a guy who isn't interested.
Strong women don't beg. They leave the moment they start feeling unwanted.
If you can't quite pinpoint when that is yet, just look for these signs.
He doesn't make an effort to see you face-to-face. If a guy want to see you, he'll make an effort to do so.
When he starts making excuses and stops following through with plans, you need to start looking for other options.
He acts like he doesn't care. The beautiful thing about men is that most of them are very easy to read.
Stop trying to read so much into the little things and living off of the "what ifs" and just accept what is.
And sure, there are the few rare moments in history where a girl walked away and the guy chased her down. But typically, those moments only happen in Nicolas Sparks movies.
In real life, you want a guy who doesn't need to lose you to learn that he likes you.
Emily Blackwood is a writer who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships, and everything in between. Follow her on Twitter.