While fun dates, a shared sense of humor, and lots of love will take you far, nothing\u2019s more important than having respect in a relationship. And knowing the signs your partner doesn\u2019t respect you can help you spot a problem before it spirals.<\/p>\n
\u201cRespect is an important component of every healthy relationship, yet it\u2019s absolutely critical for the long-term success of a romantic relationship,\u201d Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist, tells Bustle. \u201cWhen a sense of solid respect is present, partners tend to feel more appreciated, seen, and safe in the relationship. When respect is not present, partners will tend to feel wary, angry, and deeply resentful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disrespect can take many forms, but it typically has the same outcome. Studies have shown that a lack of respect is one of the main predictors of a breakup. And while breaking up is often the best course of action when a partner is rude, disloyal, and uncaring, it may be possible to inspire positive improvements.<\/p>\n
As Manly says, \u201cThis dynamic can be changed with conscious effort. Respect \u2014 like most key principles in relationships \u2014 is an attribute and a skill that can be honed with mindful attention.\u201d It might mean pointing out areas that need to change, going to couples therapy together, and \u2014 if you\u2019re willing \u2014 giving a partner a chance to change.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s up to you what happens next. But experts say if you spot any of these signs below, it\u2019s a sign your partner doesn\u2019t respect you, and that means the relationship needs work.<\/p>\n
1 Your Partner Ignores Your Boundaries<\/p>\n
Healthy relationships are all about establishing and respecting one another\u2019s boundaries. So if a partner repeatedly ignores or tramples all over yours, it\u2019s clear a \u201clack of respect is at work,\u201d Manly says.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, boundary-crossing can take many forms, and often gets worse over time. \u201cWhether a partner borrows money and doesn\u2019t return the funds, invades personal space, or engages in unwanted physical advances,\u201d Manly says, none of it should be taken lightly.<\/p>\n
2 They Keep Lying To You<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a reason why lying is a leading cause of breakups. As Manly says, \u201cDishonesty is one of the most disrespectful and destructive behaviors in any relationship.\u201d It shows your partner doesn\u2019t care about the impact their actions have on your life, and that they\u2019re only thinking about themselves.<\/p>\n
Lying has no place in a respectful relationship, and yet it\u2019s something that\u2019s so easy to brush under the proverbial rug. \u201cPeople tend to rationalize overt lying or errors of omission,\u201d Manly says, but \u201cdishonest behaviors are indefensible \u2014 and always a sign of disrespect.\u201d<\/p>\n
3 Your Partner Gives You The Silent Treatment<\/p>\n
While everyone\u2019s entitled to a breather when they\u2019re upset, take note if your partner consistently gives you the silent treatment whenever trouble arises in your relationship. Think: shutting down, sulking in another room, or sending your calls to voicemail.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe silent treatment functions to keep you in suspense of what will happen, and unsure of what you did wrong and how bad it is,\u201d Dr. Fran Walfish, a psychotherapist and author, tells Bustle. It also makes it impossible for you to share your side of the story, which is why it\u2019s considered a form of control.<\/p>\n
In fact, this manipulation technique has a name \u2014 stonewalling \u2014 and according to research from Dr. John Gottman, often means the end of a relationship is near because it\u2019s just so toxic.<\/p>\n
4 They Use Your Insecurities Against You<\/p>\n
In a relationship, you want to feel safe enough to open up, share deep thoughts, and lean on your partner for comfort and support. So if your partner takes the things you share and throws them back in your face \u2014 whether it\u2019s to hurt you, win an argument, etc. \u2014 consider it a major red flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a partner speaks down about you or uses your insecurities and limitations to their advantage, [\u2026[ these all are indications that your partner does not have enough respect for you,\u201d Josh Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, tells<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While fun dates, a shared sense of humor, and lots of love will take you far, nothing\u2019s more important than having respect in a relationship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12435"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12437,"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12435\/revisions\/12437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storieshub.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}