Loving someone is one of the most beautiful feelings in this world. Or is it? Being in a relationship somehow seems more complicated than ever, especially when your partner tries to playing toxic mind games with you in the relationship. But, how do you know when a guy is messing with your head?
Some will tell you they like you but don’t want to be in a relationship. Some will tell you they see a future with you, but most of the time their actions don’t align with their words. If the same thing is happening to you, then maybe your man is playing toxic mind games with you.
When you like someone and see yourself having a future with them, the last thing you need is mind games coming your way. These toxic things can end up breaking your heart unless you put a stop to them at the right time.
If a man plays mind games with you, never hold yourself responsible and think that maybe there is something wrong with you. Don’t ever do that to yourself. How someone is treating you is a reflection of the kind of person they are, and how they feel about themselves on the inside.
So, how do you know whether the man you are dating genuinely likes you, or is just playing with you?
Related: 3 Mind Games Insecure Men Play In Relationships
10 Hints He Is Playing Toxic Mind Games With You
1. He Flakes On You Most Of The Time.
When you see your man flaking on you more often than not, then take that as a huge red flag.
Yes, things can crop up, emergencies can happen, and life can be busy, but if he is always leaving you hanging, and every time you are supposed to hang out, something or the other comes up, then don’t take it with a pinch of salt.
This kind of attitude shows that he doesn’t care about you and your time, and takes you for granted.
A man who genuinely likes you and wants to be with you will never flake on you unless it’s for a very important and valid reason. So, if your man is bailing on you constantly, it means that he is extremely selfish, or he is keeping his options open. Either way, you deserve better.
2. He Doesn’t Prioritize You At All.
One of the major signs he is manipulative is this.
If you find yourself carrying the relationship entirely on your shoulders, and he is not doing anything, then unfortunately he is just playing you.
A healthy relationship requires two people to put in the work equally, not one person doing everything while the other one just takes everything for granted. That’s not how healthy, and normal relationships work.
It’s always you who is calling him, texting him, and making plans. And when you two actually hang out, he is very nice, charming, and into you, but once the date is over and you go back to your respective homes, there’s radio silence.
This leaves you confused and you have no idea what’s going on and which side of him is the real him. He might initiate things sometimes, but that happens after a long period of time.
So you keep on thinking, does he actually like you, or is he just playing mind games with you. If you are constantly wondering about his feelings and intentions, then maybe you need to rethink the whole thing.
3. He Pockets You All The Time.
Have you ever heard of the term, pocketing? Pocketing is when the person you are dating refuses to acknowledge you as their partner, never introduces you to their family and friends, and always conceals the relationship you both share. It’s like they have put you in their back pocket, and pretends you are not there.
If the same thing is happening to you, then you need to think about whether you are with the right man or not.
If the relationship is new, and you have just started dating, then not wanting to make it public is understandable, but if you have been together for quite some time, and things are still the same, then maybe your man doesn’t have the right intentions.
4. He Refuses To Have The ‘Relationship Talk’.
When you have been together for a considerable amount of time, it is very natural to want to know where the relationship is heading and whether it has a solid future or not.
A man who is serious about building a life with you will always be open to having this conversation, and won’t hesitate in telling you where he stands and how he really feels.
But when it comes to a man who plays mind games, then he will never be transparent with you about his thoughts, feelings, and intentions. He will try his best to avoid important conversations like this and will try to satisfy you with false and empty promises.
Related: Signs a Narcissist is Playing Mind Games With You
5. He Believes In ‘On-Off’ Relationships.
You know he is playing mind games, when you never know where you stand. Sometimes it feels like you are the center of his Universe and the apple of his eyes, and sometimes it seems like he doesn’t care about you at all.
One moment everything is perfect, and the very next moment something goes wrong, and he is breaking up with you.
Being with him seems like a rollercoaster ride, with the only difference being that you are not having any fun at all; you are feeling heartbroken and dejected most of the time.
Your relationship never seems to be on solid ground, and you are always scared that even the most minor things will end up destroying it. You are always on your toes, and walking on eggshells in the fear that he might get offended and break up.
6. He Still Uses His Dating Profiles.
Now if this isn’t one of the massive signs of a manipulative man, then I don’t know what is. If he is claiming that he is serious about you and wants to be with you but at the same time utilizes his dating profiles to the fullest, then you know very well what is going on. He is simply stringing you along, and exploring his options at the same time.
When you genuinely fall for someone and want to be with them, you don’t think about getting involved with other people, do you? But if your man is trying to convince you that he is serious about you, but not deleting his dating profiles then he is simply playing mind games with you.
7. He Does Hurtful Things To Make You Jealous.
You know you are with a toxic man when he tries to make you jealous by indulging in behaviors that hurt you immensely.
He will deliberately flirt with other women and get involved with them because he loves seeing you upset and hurt, as this makes him feel happy on the inside. Yes, it’s incredibly twisted, but that’s how toxic people work; they feel good by hurting other people.
He will post pictures of him with other women, openly flirt with them online and even in front of you sometimes, and might even go out on dates with other women. All he wants is a reaction from you, and he doesn’t care how he is extracting it.
8. He Never Supports You In Any Way.
He is playing toxic mind games with you when always comes running to you when he needs your help or wants something from you. But when it’s the other way round, and you need his help and support, surprise, he is nowhere to be found.
As long as he is getting his needs met, he doesn’t care about anything else.
If you are going through a hard time in your life, and you need some emotional support, he will either avoid you or straight up ignore you.
It’s easy being there when things are perfect and happy, but when someone is not there to help you in your tough times, they don’t deserve to be in your life.
9. He Is Never Interested To Know The Real You And Your Life.
When you really like someone and want to be in a relationship with them, you would naturally want to know everything about them and their lives.
Who they are as a person, what kind of family do they have, their likes, dislikes, etc., are all important things, and wanting to know all this is very natural. That is how you know someone better, right?
Well, in the case of men who play mind games, they don’t really care about any of this. All they care about is having fun with you, and getting their needs and demands met. Who you are and how you feel is not their concern, and never will be.
Related: 9 Clever Mind Games Narcissists Play In Relationships
10. He Is Not ‘The One’, And You Feel It In Your Soul.
One of the glaring and most profound signs he is playing toxic mind games is this.
No matter how much you like him and want to be with him, somehow you know it in your gut that he is not ‘The One’. Whenever you are with him, you feel incomplete and you just know something is missing.
You are always feeling uncertain, apprehensive, and unhappy, and you have no idea what to expect from him.
You might be holding on to straws because you like him a lot, but when you know, you know. If it’s doesn’t fit, and if it doesn’t feel organic and right, then it’s better not to force it. Nothing good ever comes out of that, right?
If you have seen a few or all of these signs of a manipulative man, then please know that he is playing mind games with you, and has absolutely no intention of spending his life with you.
Don’t waste your time on people who don’t deserve your love, kindness, and goodness, and instead wait for the right person to come along. Trust me, he is just around the corner.
You deserve to be with someone who loves you with all their heart and cherishes you, not someone who is busy playing toxic mind games with you.
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