When the calls never come or the texts suddenly stop, this is what may have happened.
It's happened to all of us—we date a man we truly like and then our bad dating behavior runs him off. He was witty, charming and fun to be and from every indication he had a great time on your first date. He smiled adoringly at you during dinner, laughed at your cute, quirky mannerisms, and he admired your style and accomplishments. Eye contact with him was mesmerizing and conversation was stimulating. The chemistry was palpable.
He gave you a soft goodnight kiss at your front door and he purred, "I'll call you next week." Next week came, but the phone call never did.
"What happened?" you ask. You wonder, "Did I do something wrong?"
Many times you did nothing wrong. Maybe timing was off for him—he was healing from a recent breakup or he was dealing with financial issues. Maybe the chemistry was smoking hot for you, but not for him, but it's not a good reason to beat yourself up.
Then again, maybe it was your bad dating behavior. Here are 10 bad dating behaviors that will run a man off lickety split:
- Falling in love too fast: Romanticizing, fanaticizing and reading between the lines can scare a good man. Ignoring and making excuses for a man's bad behavior can allow the wrong man into your life.
- Clingy, insecure behavior: Men can smell a needy woman's agenda quicker than he can smell prime rib.
- Fearful, self-protecting behavior: It causes a woman to appear unfriendly and aloof. A woman who is paralyzed at the thought of intimacy, causing her to be afraid to show interest in a man, will block the development of a relationship.
- Talking about money: A man is leery of a woman when her biggest interest seems to be about money and possessions.
- Losing your "mystery": Sharing too much personal information too soon can squelch a man's desire to pursue you for a second date.
- Calling and chasing a man: Out of eagerness or insecurity, a woman will impulsively call a man, rather than waiting for him to call her first.
- Caving in for sex too soon: Yes, we are modern, empowered women, but a man needs time to develop strong feelings for a woman. Sex-too-soon can short-circuit an otherwise promising relationship.
- Dating for money and position: A woman who commits or marries for possessions and status may later find herself yearning for the love and intimacy that is absent in her relationship.
- Talking about the men in your past: A man does not want to compete with the men in your past—dead or alive.
- Drinking too much: Don't try to convince yourself that you "didn't act stupid" when you drank, when truthfully, you did. Imbibing too much can wreck your chances with a great guy, along with your BMW.
Any one of these naughty dating behaviors can cause a man to think twice about the woman he is dating. Two can cause him to pause and step back. Three or more can cause him to run into the street yelling and screaming, "Taxi!"
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Check out Nancy Nichols's Dating and Relationship Trilogy.
