Dating is hard and trying to find someone you want to spend your life with is even harder. You have to mesh personalities, lifestyles, families, and friends. And that is no easy feat.
Many people have lamented that the dating world is not a friendly place. So when you do find someone, you want to hold onto them for as long as you can. As the blissful years pass, you may start wondering what the next step is.
You may even start to wonder if marriage is in your future. How can you tell if there’s no marriage ahead? Here are seven signs that your partner doesn’t want to marry you.
1. He’s Vague About the Future
When you ask your partner about your future together, what is his response? Is he enthusiastic, or does he give vague answers about what it could look like? If it’s the latter, there’s a good chance he hasn’t considered marrying you.
You don’t have to have a twenty-year plan that details every move in the relationship. But he should be able to confidently see you in his life years from now.
As your relationship gets more serious, you should start considering what the future looks like. If he has no answers or you don’t seem to be a part of it, that’s one of the biggest signs he doesn’t want to marry you.
2. He Makes You Feel Insecure in the Relationship
A good relationship is full of love and trust. You should feel safe when you’re with him. Your partner should never make you feel insecure about yourself or the relationship.
Maybe he talks to other people or brings up his ex. Maybe his comments feel like underhanded insults. If he makes you feel insecure, then he isn’t prioritizing you or the relationship.
Take this as a sign the marriage won’t be any different. Getting married may not be the right choice anyway.
3. He Hasn’t Introduced You to Friends or Family
If a man is thinking long-term, he’s going to want to introduce you to his friends and family. Brining you around family and friends is a way to legitimize the relationship.
If he’s hesitant or won’t invite you to family events or friend hangouts, he probably isn’t considering marriage. If it seems like his family and friends don’t know about you, he probably isn’t considering marriage.
Take this as a huge warning, especially if you’ve talked about him to your friends and family, which introduced our next point.
4. He’s Not Interested in Your Friends and Family
Being in a relationship means engaging in your partner’s life and interests. Your family and friends only want what’s best for you. Of course, they’re going to want to meet the man you’ve been dating.
But if he hasn’t introduced you to his friends and family, there’s a good chance that he’s not interested in meeting yours. Again, meeting friends and family is a step that legitimizes the relationship. If he’s not looking for a serious commitment, he’s not going to want to involve other people.
He may keep making excuses as to why he can’t meet your friends and family. He might bail on already established plans with your friends and family. And if that’s the case, he probably doesn’t see a future with you.
5. He Doesn’t Share His Emotions
Some people don’t like feeling vulnerable or sharing their emotions. But in order for a relationship to work, vulnerability is needed from both partners. If you feel like you’re still on a surface level emotionally after you’ve been dating a while, consider that a red flag.
Never sharing any emotions keeps you out of his emotional space and keeps you at a distance. It shows a lack of commitment to you and the relationship.
Sure, some people are less emotional than others. But never sharing emotions and never being vulnerable won’t allow for a long-term relationship or marriage. If he wanted to feel close to you, he’d let you in emotionally.
6. He Proposed, But Won’t Set a Date
Alright, so he proposed! But he won’t commit to a wedding date. No matter what day in what month your propose, he has a reason why that date won’t work. Or maybe he’s pushed off talk of wedding planning altogether.
Not every man will throw themselves into wedding planning. But he should at least show some interest, be able to give his opinion and make wedding decisions.
But if he’s dragging his feet after you have the ring, there’s something else going on. He could be getting cold feet; he could be questioning if he wants to marry you. It’s best to have a discussion about where the hesitation is coming from and try to address some of those issues.
7. He Says He Doesn’t Believe in Marriage
When someone shows you their true self, believe them. Some people don’t believe in marriage. Some people don’t want to get married. There are plenty of reasons, from childhood trauma to simply enjoying the single life.
But if he has said that he doesn’t believe in marriage, believe him. Don’t try to change his mind. Don’t stick around and hope that he’ll want to get married one day.
If he doesn’t believe in marriage and you do, you two might be incompatible. It might not be the right relationship for you. And that’s okay.
How to Know If There’s No Marriage in the Future
You’ve found someone you think you want to spend the rest of your life with, but there’s no progression in the relationship. You’re ready to take the next step, but your partner is dragging his feet.
This might be a hard fact to face: but there might be no marriage in the future of your relationship. There are a couple of reasons someone doesn’t want to get married. And it’s important to recognize the signs, so you know how to approach the issue.
If you’re feeling like you’re going through a difficult time in your relationship, it might be time to seek the advice of a professional. Mend the Bond provides advice and solutions to help improve your relationship. Explore more of our marriage and relationship advice articles today!