{"id":30077,"date":"2013-01-31T20:57:13","date_gmt":"2013-02-01T02:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artofmanliness.com\/?p=30077"},"modified":"2026-01-16T09:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T15:30:58","slug":"relationship-red-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/people\/relationships\/relationship-red-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Red Flags to Look Out for in a Relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vintage<\/p>\n

You’ve probably had a friend who started dating a woman that really made you scratch your head. She was flaky, possessive, and high-drama. Everyone could see that the gal was toxic and really bringing your buddy down…everyone, that is, except your buddy.<\/p>\n

You tell yourself, “That would never happen to me.”<\/p>\n

But then it does.<\/p>\n

What gives? How do people end up in unhealthy relationships despite warning signs that their partner was bad news to begin with?<\/p>\n

Answer: we’re blinded by love.<\/p>\n

Seriously.<\/p>\n

Using MRI machines, researchers at the University College London found that<\/a> “feelings of love lead to a suppression of activity in the areas of the brain controlling critical thought. It seems that once we get close to a person, the brain decides the need to assess their character and personality is reduced.”<\/p>\n

Not only does romantic love suppress our critical thinking, but feel-good chemicals and hormones like oxytocin and dopamine cloud our judgment even more. Love truly gives us a drug-like \u201chigh,\u201d and it feels so good that we simply ignore the red flags waving right before us. If by chance you do take notice of a gal’s negative behavior or attitude, you’re likely to minimize it, writing it off as a cute quirk, or telling yourself, “Oh, it’s not that bad. Besides, maybe I can be the guy to help her improve.”<\/p>\n

Don’t fool yourself.  You can’t force your partner to change; the change has to come from within. Also, problems that you notice at the beginning of a relationship tend to amplify themselves as the relationship deepens. Or as marriage expert Dr. John Van Epp says in his book, How to Avoid Falling in Love With a Jerk<\/em><\/a>, “The good doesn’t always last, and the bad usually gets worse.”<\/p>\n

“Well,” you say, “I’m a manly man, dammit. I don’t let my emotions get the best of me in a relationship. I always think rationally.”<\/p>\n

Hold on there, chief. Some research actually indicates<\/a> that men<\/em>, particularly men in their mid-twenties, “typically fall in love faster than women and are the first to take the lead in saying words of love in the initial stages of the relationship.” Women, on the other hand, are generally more apprehensive in the beginning stages of a relationship. In other words, just because you’re a dude, doesn’t mean you’re not susceptible to love blindness.<\/p>\n

Knowing that your judgment is clouded, it’s important to enter any serious relationship with both your head<\/em> and your heart<\/em>. You need be able to distance yourself from the powerful emotions you’re likely feeling in a new relationship so that you can notice any red flags that might indicate that you’re destined for a relationship from hell. This is doubly important if you’re considering marriage.<\/p>\n

But what sort of red flags should you be on the lookout for? While every man has his own personal relationship red flags or deal breakers, psychologists and marriage experts have found there are a few general red flags you should be aware of. Most of these are patterns of behavior in your partner that will likely (not definitely) result in a troubled relationship down the road.<\/p>\n

Because people are usually on their best behavior at the beginning of a relationship, some of these red flags won’t appear for awhile. According to Dr. Van Epp, it’s usually around the three-month mark that deep-seated patterns start to manifest themselves. This delay is why he and other relationship experts recommend that you take romantic relationships nice and slow.<\/p>\n

Below are some of the common red flags that researchers and therapists recommend you look for in a relationship.<\/p>\n

Watch the Video<\/h3>\n