If there is hot and cold behavior coming from your ex, it could mean that they are very conflicted in how they feel about you. In other words, they might want to be with you but they're feeling unsure about your ability to make them happy in the long run or about your compatibility.
It's uncommon to come across an ex who purposefully gives you mixed signals, but it does happen. Some exes act hot and cold because they want to confuse, embarrass, or hurt you. It's usually an ego thing.
If your ex is being hot and cold with you, the simplest way of dealing with it is through communication. Talk to your ex about what's bothering you. Why you think they're leading you on, and ask them why they're doing it. Through communication, you can then choose your next step, even if it involves blocking your ex.
Your ex might be sending you mixed signals because they are experiencing confusion about how to handle the breakup. They aren't sure exactly how they are feeling yet and want to keep their romantic options with you open in case they decide they want to come back.
To find out if your ex still likes you, see if they keep calling, texting, or messaging you, which shows they're still into you. Additionally, pay attention to whether they seem to show up wherever you are, since that suggests they're looking for continued contact.
When an ex wants you back but won't admit it, they will constantly seek your attention and validation. If they have a greater ego, they might be holding on to past pain. If your ex wants you back, they will ask for your advice and attention, and will try to give you their attention in return.
Smiling and making eye contact can also be big signs that they're interested in you romantically, but they could also just be signs they're being friendly. You know your ex better than anyone else—if they tend to avoid eye contact but they can't stop looking at you at a party, it's a huge sign!
The irony is that narcissists are consistently inconsistent. If you are in love with someone who sends you constant mixed messages, it can be emotionally damaging to you personally, even causing you to lose your sense of self.
Mixed signals can definitely mean that the other person isn't going all in on you, but that's not the only answer at play. Often, those who give off mixed signals have avoidant attachment styles, a learned coping strategy where the person shies away from closeness and intimacy because it makes them uncomfortable.
What we find is a reason that an ex can go cold on you is that they're finding a new alternative. Now oftentimes, you'd be so surprised about how often new alternatives turns out to be kind of more grass-is-greener situations where they're like, “Oh, I thought this person would be better,” and then they're not better.
The reason that your ex is reaching out to you and suddenly disappearing is because they are falling victim to this nostalgia principle where they momentarily want to re-live the best moments of the relationship. After they reach out though they start to second guess themselves.
One of the most frequent causes for him acting interested one minute and distant the next has to do with the biology and psychology of men. There is a little-known idea that compels a guy to commit or flee. This has to do with how he feels about you. You see, it all comes down to bringing out the inner hero in men.
It could be that your ex has moved on to someone new and that is why he is maintaining his distance. It could be something he is choosing to do himself, out of respect for his new relationship, or maybe even out of respect to you (if he's a good guy and doesn't want to hurt you.
It's unlikely that an ex will forget about you, even if you don't communicate with them after the breakup. Relationships tend to make an large emotional impact on both people involved, so it's likely your ex will remember you and the relationship even after the breakup.
These stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. We don't necessarily go through them in any specific order, and we don't graduate from one before we move on to the other and never look back. It's very possible to alternate between two stages, sadness and anger.
In this case, you might expect examples of narcissist text messages such as “I'm in the hospital, but I'm ok now,” “I can't feel my arm, but I don't think I should worry, should I?”, “I've had some bad news, but there's nothing you can do about it.”
Maybe you have a high-status job, a large social circle, or a talent that makes you sought after. If they're always thinking what a catch you are, they'll be obsessed with keeping you. The narcissist thinks it reflects well on them to have someone special, skilled, or capable interested in them.
Feel if they are distant.
If your ex suddenly grows distant from you, this can be a sign that they've moved on. If they longer share details from their life, no longer reach out to you for support, or no longer allow themselves to be close to you physically, they may be in love with someone.