Old Married Couples Reveal Relationship Warning Signs Young Couples Should Watch Out For

With age, comes wisdom. That’s why you should take advice from older, happily married couples on the types of red flags you should watch out for in relationships: 

“If you say ‘no,’ and their response is, ‘You’d do it if you really loved me’ — WATCH OUT. That sort of emotional manipulation is usually a bad sign.” — palad

“If you find yourself always having to make excuses for your partner’s behavior to friends and family, it’s a warning that your partner is probably no good for you.” — delicateteacup

“In your personal life, if you start to feel really anxious or insecure with someone you’re dating–treat it as a warning. With the caveat that you’re not an immature/jealous/crazy person, those feelings can be a red flag that the person you’re with isn’t meeting your needs or that something else is amiss.” — GinGimlet

“If your partner often accuses you of cheating, when you know you most certainly are not cheating, it just might be possible that your partner is cheating. If you try to ask your partner if they are cheating and they become instantly angry and make you feel bad for asking the question, it just might be possible that you partner is cheating on you. But the most important thing is not to waste your life trying to stay with the wrong person for you. It’s okay to break up if you’ve identified that you’re not a good fit. Moving on hurts, but you owe it to your future self and your TRUE soulmate, who’s out there somewhere, to keep looking. Hope that helps.” — jzzanthapuss

“In terms of a relationship, criticism. Too many people don’t know the difference between airing your grievances in a healthy way and being critical in a negative sense. For example, ‘I would appreciate it if we could trade off nights on who does the cooking,’ or ‘I think that shirt might be better for another occasion,’ are fair criticisms. Saying ‘You never cook, I’m not your mother,’ or ‘You don’t even try to dress up, you look sloppy!’ is not productive and creates resentment. Good criticism always presents a solution or an opportunity to compromise. Bad criticism belittles the other person and shuts them down. No one likes thinking the person they love thinks very little of them. It hurts and destroys people’s self-esteem, and that’s hard to get back once it’s gone.” — astrocats

“People don’t really change that much, except in extreme circumstances. Don’t hang around/marry/work for someone who’s ok but has some personality issues you really don’t like, because you think ‘they might change’ or ‘with my help, they’ll change.’ Go in with the mindset that ‘this is the person, as they are and probably will always be.’ If their flaws (sometimes, it’s only one flaw, like abusive or aggressive behavior) currently outweigh their good qualities, it’s best to drop that person now and not spend months or years or a lifetime in waiting misery.” — pbrooks19

“It’s not really a warning sign, but make sure you maintain hobbies and friends outside of a relationship. The warning sign would be if your significant other is trying to isolate you from these things.” — mmm_unprocessed_fish