6 Lessons In Life And Love You Learn From Dating A Bare Minimum Man

Bare minimum men are never going to give you what you deserve. They are going to try to get away with the smallest amount of effort possible. Although dating them is going to be a disaster, you can learn a lot after breaking up with them. Here are the lessons in life and love you learn from dating (and leaving) a bare minimum man:

You will be much happier on your own than in the wrong relationship.

There might have been a time when you assumed any relationship was better than no relationship — but a bare minimum man will prove that this isn’t true. After all, dating them is exhausting. You’re always running around, trying to make them happy, trying to keep the relationship stable. You’re in charge of the work of two people, and that’s not fair to you. It’s much healthier, and more relaxing, to stay single.

You should never feel guilty about asking for more.

You’re not greedy for wanting a partner who answers your texts or sets aside time for you or keeps their promises. Those are bare minimum requirements for any relationship. And you shouldn’t be begging for the bare minimum. You shouldn’t be begging for anything. The right person will rise to your standards without being asked twice. They will naturally treat you the way you deserve because your happiness brings them happiness.

Your needs matter just as much as your partner’s do.

It’s not fair for them to get everything they’ve ever wanted while you’re receiving crumbs. Your relationship is supposed to be equal. You’re supposed to be benefiting from your relationships as much as they are. If you’re giving them everything they could ever want in a partner, but they are constantly leaving you disappointed, the relationship is unbalanced. And that’s not fair to you.

You deserve to be treated as a priority.

You shouldn’t feel like you’re a backup plan or a bother. Although your partner is allowed (and encouraged) to care about other things, like their friends and their career, they should never make you feel like you’re scraping the bottom of their priority list. If they can’t set aside enough time for you, then they don’t deserve you.

Love isn’t supposed to be completely exhausting.

Sometimes even the best relationships are hard work, but they shouldn’t be a constant pain. You shouldn’t be stressed and frustrated every single moment you spend with them. Your partner is supposed to be a source of excitement, happiness, and relaxation. Not the reason why you’re feeling overwhelmed or insecure about yourself. If your relationship is only causing you pain, you’re in the wrong one.

You can’t stay in a relationship based on what you hope happens in the future.

You might have stayed with this person for longer than you should have because you held onto the hope that they would change, that they would treat you better once they realized how lucky they were to have you. But you can’t stay with someone for their potential. You need to look at how they’re treating you today, right now. And if you aren’t happy with it, you need to give yourself permission to walk away.