Six Signs Someone Isn't Worth Your Time
Written and illustrated by Kendall Darnell
Whether it’s romantic, platonic, or somewhere in between, relationships can be hard. It’s all too easy to ignore red flags when you care about someone. But when your own mental health is at stake, it’s important to know when enough is enough. Here are six signs that show someone isn’t worth your time.
They don’t put in the effort.
Being busy can only excuse so much. Everyone is capable of taking 30 seconds out of their day to text you back. No one should have to wait three to five business days for a response. And that’s just the bare minimum. If they struggle to carve out time to see you or work on issues you’ve brought up, you shouldn’t be going the extra mile for them.
Their actions don’t line up with their words.
It doesn’t matter how many times someone apologizes if nothing ever changes. No amount of “I’m so sorry” or “I’ll do better” fixes anything when they can’t follow through. Don’t let their groveling fool you. They know what you want to hear and have no intention of sticking to it. If someone’s not both showing and telling you they want you, they don’t really want you.
They can’t give you a commitment.
No one wants to deal with the confusion of not defining the relationship. If you know what you want and they can’t give it to you, it’s time to reevaluate. Keeping things ambiguous won’t give you anything but a headache. You shouldn’t have to settle for less just to keep them around.
They stress you out.
If you find yourself constantly checking your phone for a text or wondering if they even like you all that much, they’re probably not good for you. Sure, a little nervousness is normal when you have feelings for someone, but it shouldn’t consume your thoughts and make you feel bad. No one deserves to have that kind of power over you.
You catch yourself complaining.
When the venting turns into ranting, something’s not right. You shouldn’t have enough negative thoughts to go on for hours. If you notice you’ve stopped gushing about how nice they are and have switched to lamenting over their every little flaw, the relationship isn’t good for either of you.
Your friends tell you so.
Sometimes your friends know you better than you know yourself. If they’ve started saying someone is bad for you, you should probably listen. They’ve watched this relationship break you down and are only trying to help. It’s easy to tell yourself they just don’t get it but trust me, they do.
If you notice multiple of these signs in any of your relationships, it’s time to take a step back. These problems don’t make someone a bad person. Oftentimes, they’re just not a good person for you. Things don’t always work out and that’s okay. Take some time for yourself and know that there are plenty of better things to come.