9 Signs That Mutual Respect is Lacking In Your Relationship

Romantic relationships require a lot of hard work. You and your partner might have certain things in common, but your personalities will also often clash if you don’t work things out and find ways to resolve potential conflicts. The most important factor in the success of a relationship has to do with mutual respect. If it is lacking, it needs to be addressed or you can say goodbye. Here are 9 signs that your partner doesn’t respect you.

They don’t care about how you feel

As humans, we are by nature emotional creatures. In other words, there is absolutely nothing wrong with expressing your feelings. In fact, bottling them up inside will have a negative effect on your mental health. Your significant other should never view your feelings as an inconvenience. Rather, they should offer you support, just as you would be expected to help them in times of need.

They give you the silent treatment

Partners will often act passive-aggressive as a way of expressing their discontent about something without directly coming out and stating what the problem is. They do this in order to avoid confrontation, but the end result is a lot of frustration, confusion and tension since you aren’t given any opportunity to resolve the issue.

It’s their way or the highway

Relationships are all about compromise, but when you aren’t in the mood to attend a dinner party or have no interest in going rock climbing, your partner needs to understand and respect that you have certain boundaries. If they constantly force you into something that makes you feel uncomfortable, the relationship is going to suffer.

They ignore your concerns

In any good relationship, you and your partner should be able to express your emotions, and explain what you want and need. But if your significant other shuts you down or talks over you, you end up in a situation where nothing gets accomplished because they refuse to listen.

They give sexual/romantic attention to others

If a relationship is to survive, the couple must not only be willing to embrace the good, but accept their flaws. This doesn’t mean a person shouldn’t strive to improve themselves. And obviously if they have a serious problem such as substance abuse, it needs to be dealt with in order to save the relationship. But in the end, if your partner is constantly complaining that you aren’t meeting their impossible standards, it’s time to consider breaking things off.

They enjoy seeing you suffer

This is the ultimate sign that you are being manipulated in a relationship. It is one thing to have a disagreement. In fact, it can be healthy as long as you can accept that you won’t always see eye-to-eye. But there are times when people in relationships go out of their way to make the other feel small and even guilty as a way of dominating them. The pain you feel becomes a power trip for them.

They can never be truthful

If you are constantly catching your partner in a lie, or they are deliberately withholding information from you, it is pretty obvious that they have issues that can only be solved through therapy. You need to determine whether they are willing to change or if perhaps there are underlying problems such as a personality disorder.

They want to knock down your confidence

Does your partner go out of their way to convince you that you’re a bad person? Do they criticize everything that you do, whether it’s your cooking, your hobbies, your body, or even things you have zero control over? This isn’t a minor thing, this is a clear sign of abuse. Somebody who supposedly loves you should never be attacking your self-esteem.

What should someone do if they think their partner doesn’t respect them?

If any of these things are happening in your relationship, you need to stand up for yourself. Learn to say “no” without having to explain yourself. Have respect for yourself. And ultimately, your partner must be willing to respect your boundaries and even get help if the situation merits it.