Dinner ran three hours. She laughed at everything. You walked her to her car thinking this one's locked in.
Then: nothing. Two texts. No reply. What happened?
You did what most men do on a great date. You filled every silence, answered every question, and left her with nothing to wonder about. No mystery. Nothing to sit with when she got home.
Rule 3 of the "22 Rules" changes the ending: tell her a little, hold back the rest, and let her imagination do the chasing. The ghosting stops too.
You asked her if she wanted to grab coffee. Then you asked if the time worked. Then you asked if the place was okay. Then you asked if she'd prefer tea.
Four questions. Four chances for her to say no. Four signals that you're terrified of making a decision.
Plan it. Pick the place. Pick the time. Tell her where to meet you. She'll either show up or she won't.
Either way, you look like a man instead of a scared little boy.
Exactly, it's time to start spinning plates.Depressed or not she’s using all the classic lines women use when they breakup with someone. She’s trying to ease her guilt of that by reaching out to make sure you’re ok with being friends now but still going on dates. She basically friendzoned you without officially telling you. Screw that. You have to look after yourself, not her. She made her decision to breakup with you. Think about it, what is “going slow” and “starting over” going to fix after you’ve been together for 2 fvcking years?
Did you know for another type of guy she's his punching bag?Women like this will emotionally torture and punish you of you let them. You're not their punching bag. Sorry to say it, but don't expect it to change. It'll either stay the same or get worse.
Most guys accidentally kill attraction before they even speak. They assume they need a bigger bank account, a better physique, or smoother lines. They miss the point.
Female desire operates on a specific set of psychological triggers. Break them, and you're invisible. Follow them, and you become magnetic.
I learned this the hard way. Years of freezing up. Getting friend-zoned. Watching other guys walk away with the girl I wanted. Then I discovered a set of 22 simple rules that rewired my entire approach.
Great perspective. One thing she mentioned was the last time she was feeling severely depressed and everything in her life was stressful, her ex at the time would complain, was not understanding, and would get angry for her not having time for him.My opinion is: she could be a borderline too. Either way, she doesn't feel good enough for him so is actively sabotaging the relationship before he has a chance to ends it with her first(in her mind). A bit like a pre-emptive dump. It means she is looking to confirm her negative self image that she isn't wanted by men.
Congratulations, you've f*cked yourself. She has been frequently testing you. When a woman asks you questions that require reassurance and validation, you don't give it away. You're taking everything she says at face value. You can do that in a business meeting or when you're writing a quarterly report.but I reassured her that I understand and am not a selfish person.
"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."When they tell you stories about the ex, they are trying to condition you to behave in a way they want you to. It's also very disrespectful. so now you know she is extremely manipulative and not some helpless way for you as a white knight to save as you believed.
This is such a good comment that I am incentivized to set up another account just so that I could Like it again.If she says something like "start over as friends," then you need to tell her directly that while you understand this is a hard time for her, that isn't what YOU are looking for and that maybe she needs some time on her own to figure things out, then you walk away and never look back and you start dating other girls. If she gets mad at you and says she still expects to go on dates and hear from you every day, your response should be along the lines of, "That's what I wanted too, but I don't go on dates with friends nor do I talk to each of them every day. I'm a busy guy. I can only make that kind of time for a partner and you've told me you aren't interested in that right now so I need to shift my time and energy elsewhere." She needs to understand that she WILL lose you and she is NOT in the position of being able to unilaterally keep changing the terms of your relationship and expect you to stick around through it. You will not tolerate that and she needs to know that. Additionally, do NOT accept any shaming or criticism from her for your taking this position.
She's manipulative as f*ck. She will throw him this bait again and again until she gets tired of him. She won't fix herself, why would she? She's having success with her tactic. Otherwise she wouldn't have created such havoc in OP's mind.She may be testing his boundaries, but it is also likely she has NO boundaries. Women like her need FIRM boundaries. From my experience of women who behaved as described by OP's girl, they have none. They are often volatile and aggressive. Avoid. He cannot fix her. She needs to fix herself or find an expert who will.
In the mean time, I wouldn't emotionally invest and get serious with her. It is a recipe for disaster. I would a
Next Monday you'll feel more confident. After the gym you'll feel more confident. After one more drink you'll feel more confident. After you get a better haircut, a better jacket, a better job.
You've been "getting ready" for two years.
She's standing ten feet away right now. She'll be gone in four minutes. No amount of preparation will manufacture the courage that only comes from moving your feet.
Walk over. Stumble through the first sentence. Let it be clumsy. Let it be imperfect. You will feel more alive in those ten seconds than you have all month.
Bro let me give you some insight into how these things work. A woman does or says something that she feels should get her dumped by a "normal" man and when you don't she starts to get upset because she loses respect for you because she thinks you have no self-respect for yourself.Great perspective. One thing she mentioned was the last time she was feeling severely depressed and everything in her life was stressful, her ex at the time would complain, was not understanding, and would get angry for her not having time for him.
Although I've always been supportive and understanding about everything happening to her, I do kind of feel like in her head she jumped the gun thinking I would end it, or feel neglected by her lack of time, or that our relationship would end up the same way.
She did mention before when she started school she was worried I would get bored of her, since she would be busy and we wouldn't be able to hang as much, but I reassured her that I understand and am not a selfish person. She also has admitted to sometimes feeling insecure about both herself and the relationship.
Your self respect gets tanked if you hang in there. Confidence too. Possibly zeroed out. Only up to go from there.Bro let me give you some insight into how these things work. A woman does or says something that she feels should get her dumped by a "normal" man and when you don't she starts to get upset because she loses respect for you because she thinks you have no self-respect for yourself.
So she will continue doing more and more of these things each time hoping you dump her. Everytime you don't she loses more and more respect until she finally dumps you.
This is something like a vicious death spiral where the only way out that works in your favor is to dump her early on in these situations.
It sucks but it is what it is.
What should I do? My depressed girlfriend asked for a "break" due to needing space, but gets mad when I give it to her and she still wants to go on dates with me.
Before we started dating she warned me about going through depressing stages, pushing people away, and being insecure. We've been together for 2 years, when she feels overwhelmed or too stressed, she goes into depression. It's happened before, but this time was the worst and she told me she wants to start over as friends, take things slow, doesn't want to bring me down, but still wants to go on dates with me. I feel in my heart I would regret it if I walk away. She says she sees a future with me but wants us to pause our relationship.
She is very stressed right now due to school, work, and her family issues.
She started initiating contact the next day after asking for a break and got angry for not hearing from me.
She wants space, but expects to hear from me everyday and still wants to go on dates. She also cooked for me yesterday without me asking.
I think unintentionally she wants a open relationshipWhat should I do? My depressed girlfriend asked for a "break" due to needing space, but gets mad when I give it to her and she still wants to go on dates with me.
Before we started dating she warned me about going through depressing stages, pushing people away, and being insecure. We've been together for 2 years, when she feels overwhelmed or too stressed, she goes into depression. It's happened before, but this time was the worst and she told me she wants to start over as friends, take things slow, doesn't want to bring me down, but still wants to go on dates with me. I feel in my heart I would regret it if I walk away. She says she sees a future with me but wants us to pause our relationship.
She is very stressed right now due to school, work, and her family issues.
She started initiating contact the next day after asking for a break and got angry for not hearing from me.
She wants space, but expects to hear from me everyday and still wants to go on dates. She also cooked for me yesterday without me asking.
She calls you when her car breaks down. When she needs help moving. When some guy she's actually dating treats her badly.
You're the listener. The reliable one. The guy who would treat her so much better, if she'd just open her eyes.
She won't. You trained her to see you as the low-effort option — the friend who requires zero risk and zero investment. Every favor dug the hole deeper.
The "22 Rules" break the pattern. You'll stop auditioning for a role she already cast and become the man she chases instead. It starts with Rule 1.