Waiting Can Be Emotionally Draining Waiting for someone who doesn't want a relationship at all could set you up for heartbreak in the future. When you're feeling stuck in the middle, take time to consider whether this person is actually worth waiting for—or if you're just standing by to see the outcome.
There can be many reasons why a guy may like you but not want a relationship. It's important to respect his decision and not pressure him into something he's not ready for. If you're interested in someone who's not ready for a commitment, focus on building a friendship and keep your options open.
Psychologists say you should wait at least two months until you ask the other person to be exclusive with you. You might decide to commit to each other sooner than that, but generally speaking, eight weeks is a good timeline. Keep in mind that this depends on how often you talk to your crush.
However, if it's only been a few weeks, it's probably too soon to give up hope. Here are some signs it might be time to move on: If you've been seeing him for over a month and things are not escalating. If you're not getting any indication that your partner is interested in moving things forward romantically.
Give it a few days (or even a week).
If you've waited more than a week and still haven't heard back from him, it might be time to move on.
A guy who is taking it slow will make plans ahead of time, but someone stringing you along is not making you a priority. He will reach out to see if you want to grab a drink or come over the night of because he was waiting to see if something better would come up.
Waiting Can Be Emotionally Draining
Waiting for someone who doesn't want a relationship at all could set you up for heartbreak in the future. When you're feeling stuck in the middle, take time to consider whether this person is actually worth waiting for—or if you're just standing by to see the outcome.
There are some variables here, such as feeling as though he isn't ready for a relationship, fearing hurting you, or fearing getting his feelings hurt himself. Maybe he has established you as a love contact but is scared of commitment. The bottom line is that if he wanted to date you, he likely would.
For some he's trying to figure out if he's even that interested. For others, he's trying to figure out if he wants to be exclusive. For others, he's saying that he likes/loves you, but he's contradicting that with his actions and stalling on committing.
If you want your man to commit to you, try to be patient, don't not too demanding, and support his emotional needs. Also, men prefer to commit to women who have a strong sense of self. Being desperate or overdoing things will only make him pull away from you and the relationship.
If someone isn't willing to commit right now, sure, they can change their mind, but it's unlikely. It doesn't matter why someone might not want a relationship, but if that's what you were looking for, this can put you in quite the bind.
If you're tired of waiting for him to realize how much he loves you and commit to you; if you're tired of having your life pass you by, then you should move on.
If both of you have been friends for a while, and have started seeing each other a lot more often or have even started dating each other and making out, three months is your comfortable limit to take things forward and ask her to be your girl.
Around 1-3 months is considered “normal” for most couples.
If you've been dating someone for a week or two and you're wondering when most couples have the exclusivity talk, don't worry. Many long-term couples made it official after a few months of casual dating.
According to Helen Fisher and her colleagues, the reason romantic rejection gets us hooked is that this sort of rejection stimulates parts of the brain associated with motivation, reward, addiction, and cravings.
As much as you'd like to, you can't force an unwilling person into a relationship. That will only create resentment and, eventually, end in disappointment. Perhaps the only thing worse than dating a person who won't commit is being with a person who half-heartedly agrees to commit and then regrets it.
When a man likes you but doesn't want a relationship, he will seek out friendly interactions because you're available. Your willingness to respond to his texts or answer his calls may be all that's keeping him around. Talking to you when he is bored could be helping him pass the time.
Here are some other signs you're in a situationship: There's been no define-the-relationship (DTR) convo. You're doing girlfriend/boyfriend activities, but you've both stated it's casual. You haven't integrated into each other's lives meaningfully—you haven't met their family, friends, or colleagues.
She adds that taking it slow is a great way to expand on your connection — and make sure that it's actually there in the first place. Plus, if a guy wants to build on your emotional connection before getting into physical intimacy, it can be a sign that he takes that next step seriously.
For instance, it can refer to someone's desire to hold off on engaging in different kinds of intimate acts, while other people might think of it as wanting to spend a certain amount of time together before making a more serious commitment.
A study of 172 college students found men reported falling in love earlier than women and expressing that sentiment first. According to Broadly, the reason men are quicker to say 'I love you' may be because women are biologically predisposed to be pickier when selecting a partner.