Long-term relationships are not actually guaranteed, even if you really like a person. Spending your life together with someone is a huge commitment, so most folks want to be sure. Unfortunately, sometimes things happen in a relationship that pretty clearly demonstrate that a partner is not marriage-material.
Someone asked “What moment made you realize your gf/bf would never be your wife/husband?” and netizens shared those pivotal moments from their lives. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and examples in the comments section below.

#1

When he randomly said to me one day, “you have to win me over again”. I decided not to try.

Image credits: MooglePomCollector

#2

When she asked her friend to flirt with me to test me.

Image credits: Nelson4ay59

#3

I was stuck in bed healing from a serious accident. I had several pelvic fractures and spinal fractures plus serious emotional trauma. My mom had come to stay with me to help take care of me. My ex came to visit one day like two weeks after the accident and he was pouting because I wouldn’t have sex with him. Then he made a joke to my mother about how “well endowed” he was (hahahahahahahahahahaha).

Image credits: UCantSeeMyWhale

#4

The day my boyfriend decided to quit his job because I made enough money to support both of us. Yeah I make enough to support us, but l am not going to support another grown adult.

We were a gay couple for reference.

Image credits: Samisoy001

#5

When I realized we had completely different life goals—like he wanted to travel the world non-stop, and I was more about settling down in one place.

Image credits: HOt_babes13

#6

I was planning on proposing to my long term girlfriend, but then she got into a serious accident where she fell and landed onto a friends' d**k. Dodged a bullet there.

Image credits: Ben716

#7

She lied badly about money and how much debt she was in. Her best friend showed me a text she had sent basically saying all I need is to get him to marry me and he’ll be stuck with my debts too.

Image credits: CelticB-stard

#8

When she slept with my best friend.

Image credits: Form1040

#9

We were looking at rings. He straight up told me he didn’t like any of the ones I did because “they’re not gold and my wife needs to have a gold ring because I’m going to always put her first”. But, you didn’t want to put my preferences first on a piece of jewelry I’d be wearing every day?? So many other red flags, that was just the one that slapped me awake.

Image credits: Crafty_Maybe731

#10

When he said he wanted to have children together and my heart filled with dread at the thought of being permanently tied to him like that.

Image credits: NocteScriptor

#11

When we were looking for places to rent/buy for a home and she absolutely refused to compromise on where we’d be living. It’s a long story, but her reasoning in that moment told me all I really needed to know about where I was placed as importance in her mind.

Image credits: Cyanora

#12

He wanted a SAH wife but without protection in case we split. I will not lose my financial independence for anyone. Too many horror stories.

He married and his wife got screwed years later.

Image credits: Mukduk_30

#13

When she told me that I was being “selfish” for wanting to go to the gym and work out.

And no, it wasn’t because of anything specific on a particular day that was more pressing at that moment. It was just in general; me wanting to do something for my own health instead of just devoting every second of my free time to her was “selfish.”.

Image credits: CraniumCrash12

#14

He tried to control everything I did. He told me I couldn’t go over to my friends house after school because “he didn’t trust them”, I couldn’t babysit anymore because “I need to be inside my house by 6pm every night”, I couldn’t wear pink, red, or purple anymore and I could only wear long pants and turtleneck shirts as “I need to dress modestly “.

Not only did I NOT obey him, but even he came to my house before school, he told me, in front of my dad, that I had to change my clothes. I was sent out of the room, and 23 years later, I’m still not sure what my dad said to him, but all his crazy demands stopped and I broke up with him a few weeks later.

Image credits: SassyCatLady442

#15

Our upstairs neighbor had a toddler who liked to run through the apartment and she freaked out on the little guy, literally screaming at him while he stood there crying and shaking.

I grant, it was loud and annoying. She had cause to be annoyed. But 1) she refused to have an adult conversation with the upstairs mom, and 2) the little guy doesn’t deserve that. He’s just a baby.

At that time in my life, I was convinced I never wanted to have kids but when I saw that behavior I knew it was over even if we never had kids of our own. I broke up with her the next day.

Now I’m happily married and we have a little guy of our own. We have rules, but we don’t discipline out of anger or use fear to change behavior.

Image credits: One_Studio4083

#16

When we’d agree to put an argument to rest under the assumption it had been resolved, but then days/weeks later he would bring it up again out of no where or bring it up as ammo in a new argument we were having.

Long story short I was always the enemy, and anything I said in my defence was seen as a lie or used against me, and a wife is not an enemy.

Image credits: ThrowRARAw

#17

During a weekend trip that I had practically fully funded, I realized that I did not have my card when fueling. When I asked her to pay, she said what am I, a bank?

Image credits: Suspicious-Clerk8542

#18

I paid for us to go away on holiday for her birthday, travel, accomodation, most food and all planned activities were covered and I got her an expensive gift on top. She paid for one activity which I hadn’t planned for and was a spur of the moment thing.

Towards the end of the holiday I was running out of money, I asked if she would mind if we paid for ourselves for this last activity, I didn’t expect her to pay for me. She flatly refused on the basis that she’d paid for the impromptu activity. No discussion, no query just a flat no.

I couldn’t help but see her differently after that, and I realised that any future we had would reflect this reality of me paying for the majority of our relationship despite her earning more than I did. We didn’t last more than another year after that.

Image credits: Richard_Howe

#19

When she “tested me” by having her way hotter friend hit on me. When she told me she was happy I passed “her little maybe husband test” I told her she failed my maybe wife test and broke up with her. She was SHOCKED.

Image credits: davethapeanut

#20

When we’d been dating for six months and realized he really wanted to have kids and I didn’t. We’d talked about it before, but I don’t think either of us had completely figured it out yet.

He’s now a happy dad, and I’m happily childfree with an amazing partner.

Image credits: Ok_Arm2201

#21

When I realized I was just gonna be his mom not his partner.

I did the cleaning. I held his hand through EVERYTHING I was responsible for everything. It was very one sided. He spent all his money on Magic: the gathering cards instead of paying bills. When I said I was breaking up with him, he said he wouldn’t be able to finish college… Because of me. I said that wasn’t my problem that was his.

#22

When she said she wanted to be poly, and tried to force me to be as well.

#23

My ex always had a subtle way of making me feel like I was never enough. I was always chasing his affection, which was never guaranteed. Eventually I remember realizing that a lifetime of that excruciating chase would be hell. That in fact, he doesn’t actually love me—he loves an idea of me.

#24

When he cheated on me then chastised me the following morning for “still going on about that”.

#25

When she was very jealous about her cat liking me. How tf we supposed to have kids if she’s jealous about me and her cat being friends. Lol miss that little feline and I know she misses me too.

#26

When I invited him to my college graduation and he said he thought it would be boring and he’d rather play video games with his brother. I worked full time through college and it took me almost 8 years to graduate, it was the biggest day of my life up to that point.

#27

When we finally got into deep talks about how we viewed our futures and I realized our goals didn’t align.

#28

When I met her dad.

I couldn't stand the man and I knew I couldn't put up with him for the rest of one of our lives. I tried extremely hard to stay with her but anytime we went to a family event or holiday it made me die a little inside. When we talked about our future she always said she wanted to live close to him. The thought of him being a grandfather to any possible kids we would have had sealed the deal and I had to call it off.

We were together for 3 years, met during first year of college, and I met her dad about 6 months into the relationship for the first time at Christmas.

#29

He couldn’t handle any serious conversation. Every time I brought up the future, he’d just joke around or change the subject. It made me realize he wasn’t in it for the long haul.

#30

I don’t want to trauma-dump, so I’ll leave it at this: pay attention to how they treat you when you are physically unwell and reliant on them.

#31

He would prioritise other people before me.

He would say the right things and knew how to apologise but his actions didn’t reflect his words.

He hid some of his habits from me…

He was not financially responsible.

Our sex life was bad.

I was not making him happy either.

#32

She talked about everything like it was hers. Her tv. Her apartment. Her couch. Her cats. Never ours when speaking to anyone, even me.

#33

Held on for a long time with someone who i know i wont end up with. religious and philosophical differences. Grew up very differently and we clashed too much. even though we trust each other and care for one another it’s hard to imagine building a life with someone you find yourself constantly irritated by how they think and the choices they make.

#34

When she told me if her deceased husband walked through the door id be out so fast…..

#35

When he told me jokingly that his mom had asked him: “Why do you keep dating [my race] girls and diluting your blood?”

Marriage is hard enough without a racist MIL and clueless momma’s boy.

#36

When he got extremely heated over the smallest disagreements.
When he told me he had 5 figure credit card debt after years of dating and that his family wants to borrow money from us.

#37

When he didn’t come to visit me/ call me to check if I was ok after being diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis.

#38

He made a huge deal out of a small disagreement, and I saw how he handled conflict—totally immature and unwilling to compromise.

#39

The way he talked about our future life together. He pictured me like a woman “without too much ambition” so that i could clean the house and raise his kids. And when he said something along the lines of “we’re gonna sign a prenup just so that I am safe” lol dude you drive a 1992 FIAT, you rent a flat with your mom and sister in the worst neighborhood and you’re between jobs, there’s literally nothing you have that i might want in a divorce settlement, get over yourself.

#40

She said “you were serious about that?” when she found out I was actively applying for Masters degree programs after a year of planning to do just that.  As it turns out she was not planning to follow through on achieving her career goals or any other goals for that matter.

#41

When I got sober and realized our relationship is why my relationship with alcohol escalated. He was a good enough guy but after 4 years of absolute boredom (17 year age difference. I threw him his 40th) and lame sex (think no tongue kissing… just pecking for 4 years!) I just drank. I was a problem drinker for sure but being with him and in my 20s and not even so much knowing our views on religion or children or anything after 4 years, I was bored af and nearly drank myself to death. When I got sober I realized I wasn’t attracted to him, his political views, the racism, the slow nature with which he walked, all of it. I met my now husband in rehab and we are splendidly happy with two beautiful children living in a modest house with a low interest rate in a snooty suburb with good schools and zinnia gardens. lol it’s a little idealistic and I know I wouldn’t have it without that relationship, but yeah that’s now I knew. I quit drinking.

#42

We’d been hanging out 11 months. We never discussed exclusivity. But we spent so much time together it didn’t matter. We went to visit his family often. His mom would tell me how she wanted more grandkids. But he canceled our plans one weekend to be a wedding date to someone else. That’s when I decided he wasn’t ever going to commit. He was more than 10 years older than me. I realized he wasn’t married because he didn’t want to be.

#43

When she was rude to the wait staff at a restaurant.

#44

Whenever I accomplished anything he’d belittle it.

Like I bought a house and he was supposed to help me with the down payment. He didn’t have a job but it was Covid year so he got a ton of unemployment cause his job never restarted. I got unemployment for a minute but it terrified me to my core so I switched careers, worked two jobs, and decided to buy a house. We were going to get married so both our names were going to be on it. About 2 months beforehand I asked how much he saved to put down. Zero. He tried to blame me and say I wanted to go out. I was working two jobs! One was sales and I made 90k in a year from. I was paying for my own drinks! He did not pay any rent or bills past his phone bill.

So I was proud of myself at 27, saving up, making a huge change in less than 7 months, and doing it myself. I didn’t put his name on the house. But I was bragging to my best friend and was just like “I’m so proud of myself for this; I never thought I’d be a home owner.” And he went “you didn’t do it yourself, you wouldn’t have done it at all if your aunt hadn’t died.” My aunt died and I got 1k from it. I would have still had the down payment without that. My aunt died of ovarian cancer. So not only was I working two jobs(for the first three months, I switched to one after that), I was also spending two nights a week with her cause we didn’t want to put her in hospice and I was the youngest of her nieces so I had the most energy. It was disgusting. People don’t die with dignity. I loved my aunt, but it was a lot of sleepless nights and holding my breath so I wouldn’t show anything on my face of wanting to throw up. I had three bad panic attacks that year from all this. Like where I thought I needed to be hospitalized and I felt like my body wasn’t mine and at any second I’d lose myself completely. I called the crisis line multiple times.

It hurt and made me see him differently when I realized how often he did that but how little it meant to me normally because I didn’t feel proud of the accomplishments anyways. But this time I did.

#45

I asked him to marry me, he said yes. We started making loose plans to marry on my favorite beach in my hometown (my grandma has a beachfront lot there where my dad and step mom got married.) His parents FREAKED out that he was marrying someone ‘from a broken home’ and said we couldn’t get married in my hometown because it was ‘too far away’. He agreed with them and then told me he ‘didn’t really believe in marriage’. 

The relationship fell apart pretty quickly after that, which was for the best, anyway. Our values differentiated so substantially- money was really really important to his family, and not so much to me (I’d rather live a happy life doing what I enjoy and supporting myself than striving to be wealthy, his parents were upset when he wasn’t making 100k a year yet at 27). I have made a life for myself that I never would have had if we’d gotten married. I hope he is happy and doing well.

#46

When he consistently chose alcohol over me. And then when he got sober, the abuse I associated with his alcohol use was actually just his personality. Too bad I already had a kid by him at that point. Im thankful every day though that I didn’t marry him and complicate things even more.

#47

He called me fat. I’m 5’2” and was about 125 pounds at the time.

#48

When I accidentally got pregnant while dating him & he acted like an a*****e. I considered keeping the baby & didn’t want to have an abortion. He was so mean for no reason & spent the night out then I found some random woman’s shirt in his car. I got an abortion (I did not have the ability to give a child a good life at the time there was no way I was doing it alone) & never looked back. 2+ years after leaving him he still tried to contact me through my friends & changing his phone number.

He ended up getting in big trouble a couple of years ago with the FBI for working with a doctor doing insurance fraud he was paying patients part of insurance money to get unneeded surgeries, lab tests, etc. they would keep everything else. One of the patients ended up dying & I think more died after the fact. It was a terrible thing & im so glad I found out he was a terrible person before that happened.

#49

He forgot to tell me he was in a relationship.

Valuable information.

#50

He wouldn’t apologize in a fight. If I was upset about something, it was my issue. He wouldn’t take any responsibility or acknowledge my side. He was just really good at talking over me and turning the conversation around where I had to be the one to say sorry. Really didn’t like that when I was the one upset with him in the first place for what I consider to be valid reasons.

#51

When I realized she was genuinely mentally ill and reluctant to get help (2nd part mostly).

It hit me like a ton of bricks one day that I don’t think I could ever trust her to be the mother of my children with her state.

This actually happened after we had split after many years, not while together… At first I desperately wanted her back, but this painful realization was maybe the first step of my truly moving on. (She eventually wanted to patch things up which I couldn’t bring myself to do).

#52

When they openly admitted they didn’t believe in compromise or teamwork in relationships. That’s a big red flag for me.

#53

She called me at work to inform me that my favorite musician died and laughed in my face about it. (Edit: I’m an old – Jerry Garcia).

#54

When he told me all he wanted to do was have some fun with me. Didn’t want to go down the serious path. I started down a new path, one that didn’t have him. Six months later I was told by a good friend that he’d been in a state of depression because I would no longer talk to him. Nope nope. I crossed that bridge and set it alight.

#55

We had vastly different ideas of how our life would turn out and specifically how she thought my life would turn out. Im very career orientated and wanted to grow my career, she wanted me to quit my job so that I would make less money than her because she didn’t think it was fair that my industry paid more than hers.

I never talked down about her job or anything, it was an insecurity of hers about the gap in earnings but I was always super supportive and listened whilst she vented but the conversation of me quitting my job and finding something completely different that doesnt pay well just so she could be the high earner in our relationship didn’t sit well with me. When we talk about our future, she would say, “we will never get married if you stay at that job it’s a deal breaker for me.” So then I said, “Why are we dating then?” She couldn’t answer that, so we broke up.

#56

There were so many moments that should’ve been it.

Tracking my location.

Accusing me of cheating then trying to gaslight me into believing I actually had.

The number of times he screamed over me.

How he got off on pushing me around in public.

But it actually took a physical assault and his arrest for me to realize I couldn’t spend my life like that.

#57

When I was feeling s*icidal and she said “It’s your choice if you do that, your brain doesn’t actually make you do it” and offered no support. Which is ironic because I helped her out of feeling s*icidal when we were friends, but she couldn’t be there for me while we were almost a year into the relationship.

Thankfully I have a much better girlfriend who listens to me.

#58

He offered to buy me a laptop from a guy on Facebook Marketplace (I was a broke student and he was well-off), which I thought was so nice and generous, but when we went to pick it up he relentlessly bullied, manipulated and gaslit the guy into bringing the price down by $200.

I lost so much respect for him that day. And it was all downhill from there.

#59

When he told me he didn’t believe in marriage, it’s just a piece of paper. He also said “if marriage is what you want, I’ll step out of the way. I won’t hold you back from getting what you want.”.

#60

The girl I am dating is not very affectionate, she is fine with almost everything else except she show not affection, she never even uses tongue when we kiss, and she never initiates physical touch. A lot of married people tell me that stuff does not matter because after you get married a lot of that stops anyways, but I feel unwanted, or that she wants me, but is not interested in my physically. Sadly she is a single mother out of a 20 year marriage and this is her first relationship since her divorce in 2021. I really don’t know what to do. If I end things, I might not find a nice girl, if I stay I get no affection. Would be nice to have a well rounded relationship, but I am starting to not think they exist.

#61

My mom got a stoke that left her partially paralyzed, while being her caretaker in the hospital, a question popped up in my head wondering if I would do the same if the person lying there was my then 5-year boyfriend, the answer for me was yes, but whether he would do the same, I didn’t think so. That was the seed of our breakup a year later.

#62

Strangely enough, it wasn’t when he said, “I don’t know if I’ll *ever* be ready to marry you.”

It was when I brought up him saying that at a later time and he said, “I never said that!”.

#63

It should have been obvious but I didn’t see any of the signs. I got so hung up on dutifully staying together and putting all my effort into keeping things together. I was there thinking that it’ll get better in a couple of months and then I’ll see the sign that she’s the one to marry. 8 years of hoping things get better is a long time, and in the end she got bored of me and resentful towards me and she ended it.

I feel and look so much better a few months on now. I walked away with nothing, gave up my job and moved back to my parents and I’m still in a better place than I was.

#64

He has no self control or accountability when he is upset. A couple years into our relationship a switched flipped in him where he wasn’t afraid to hide his terrible temper anymore. I could never have kids with someone like that. .

#65

When he told me he expected me to stop working when we got married. He also refused upfront to “let me” go to law school. I said it wasn’t up to him, he voiced concern about paying back school debt. I said me working after I went to law school would pay back my loans.

Basically he wanted to control all the money, be able to cheat on me but also track my comings and goings (as he’d hold the financial strings).

I noped right out of there. He made A LOT of money back then and has gotten even richer but … who cares? He was a d**k. He was controlling,
manipulative, jealous and petty. No regrets. I can’t be bought. The irony was when I dumped him he claimed I was a gold digger. lol, sure buddy.

Then he went and married a gold digger who puts up with his s**t. I know this bc mutual friends confirmed it for me. ?.

#66

He thought a fun surprise date would be going engagement ring shopping. We had been dating for five months. I was 21, had two years of grad school left, and we had NOT talked seriously about marriage. I almost pitched a whole fit in that jewelry store, but the young man helping us out was SO nice and I couldn’t do it to him. This made me realize my now-ex had his own ideas and timelines about both me and our relationship that made us utterly incompatible.

#67

9/11. Even though we aren’t American, I was horrified and in tears. He was pissy because he didn’t have any cigarettes and said ‘why should I care? I didn’t know those people.’.

#68

Too negative. I myself struggle with being critical and rant-y and they were a million times worse. I can’t be around someone who has a very exaggerated version of my really bad qualities because they get worse and more annoying over time.

#69

When I told him I was taking care of my parents and he said (that’s gross).

#70

He was going through major life changes as a result his communication skills got worse and worse and he was dissociating. I would send him resources upon resources to find affordable therapy and support groups but he was unwilling to even try. Can’t help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves.

#71

When I found out he had an account on seekingarrangements.com (sugar baby website), I said it’s sad that the women 30 years your junior only would spend time with you if you pay them.

He said “everything in life has a price, my dear”.

Btw he is a 48 year old economics professor at a major university and a predator I came to find, actually got kicked out for a sexual scandal but hired at a new university. Still employed.

Crazy how you can be fooled and in the dark so long with people like this.

#72

Broken promises, giving me trauma, never says sorry and MANIPULATIVE NARC.

#73

He couldn’t see a future with me in it. At all. Said he wanted a life apart from me. Which is fine to have separate friends. I actually encouraged that. But he didn’t want to build with me.

Now I have a bf who talks about a future with me every day.

#74

Two occasions-
1) met the family (complete trash)
2) she wanted to have an open relationship down the road.

#75

We were highschool sweethearts and have been together for seven years. At that point the next step in the relationship was get married or break up. We got invited to a close friends wedding (former classmate as well) and we talked about it. And we both a agreed that us getting married was not in the cards at all or not so soon. Then we went silent and I thought damn, I think we will never get married, I dont feel it, I dont want it.
Months later, we broke up.

I am engaged now with a different person. I really want to marry him.

#76

When I couldn’t picture in my mind the two of us old together.

#77

He had a grudge against the world. He was always nice to me and to be honest showered me with a lot of words of affirmation, but he was quick to judgment and held onto his opinions of people very tightly. We would not have worked anyway because of some of his political views, but I think he saw us getting married immediately after college and I was not about the life that he wanted.

#78

When applying for exciting opportunities abroad (he’s unemployed, no property), his reaction to potential moving was “I’d have to think about it”.

#79

He and his friends forgot about me and left the bar while I was still in the bathroom.

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