Commitment phobia is recurrent among the millennials and that is somewhat related to the lack of clarity about what they want for themselves. Love, over the years, has changed and is not just black and white anymore. Finding love or being pushed into finding love in India is somewhat a common thing; it is part of the culture where we are pushed to marry or have kids. Regressive as it is, it kind of destabilizes the essence of what love could have been if not pushed. Relationships often work, if you are lucky enough. But you could be the kind who can’t see himself/or herself in a long-term committed relationship. No need to blame yourself. There are many like you who feel the same. But here are some pointers that you should heed.
Relationships are not like your average Bollywood movie where you get to have background scores for each of your moments and a dance number to your lover’s heart. It is more like biting yourself and then realising that you need to be a bit more self-aware. Relationships can give you some ground-breaking reality checks that could help you understand yourself better.
Related reading: Osho on commitment & possession issues in marriage:
5 Ways to tell if he or she is not ready for a committed relationship
1. You are insecure all the time
You lack relationship readiness because you are insecure. You keep worrying about the future, worrying your partner might leave you or it might not work out so you don’t don’t to step into a committed relationship. Insecurities can only be somewhat diminished if you get an ample amount of validation but it gets toxic at some point.
Love is not a bouquet full of validation, it is something else entirely and unfathomable to begin with. But if you are looking to fill a void inside you with people’s validation, then you are probably unaware that you already have that dormant love inside you. You always have to find it or rather buy it yourself. This also means that you are seeking emotional dependency, which is quite fair, but complete dependency is harmful to you. But when you find someone who is there unconditionally, then you will realise that you don’t need emotional dependency.
2. You don’t like sharing things
I mean, it really is okay to not share things, but there should be a deeper understanding of this problem.
Sharing is something that we have been taught by our peers or parents. It is a symbol of generosity and shows that you care about the person you are sharing with.
If you are not ready to share then it’s an absolute red flag. Your generosity can only emerge once you love someone ardently enough to share Maggi with them. Then you will know you are probably ready for a committed relationship.
Related reading: 8 things that are OK to NOT share with your partner
3. You still have unresolved feelings
This is where we fumble the most and it is just a part of being a human being.
Unresolved feelings are like a ghost; you can always cut that person off, but what do you do with the ghost? Do you let it haunt you? Yes, you do and unless you find closure for yourself, you can’t make it work with someone else. You need to bite down and do what is required; you know exactly what to do. Follow your instincts.
4. You’re waiting for the right person without looking out for them
You always have the right person around you and maybe you are taking them for granted. You can be an entitled prick, but taking the right person for granted will only cause more trouble for you.
Nothing is flowery and poetry is not just about love, so go out and be a bit self-aware when you are looking for the right one. If you still have doubts, then write down what you need in that “right” person and then proceed. It will take you a lot of dates and might even take a year or so. But it won’t be hard for you to find the right person, unless you really don’t want things to work.
5. You have major commitment issues
People lack the courage to admit this, but this issue is not to be trivialised.
Commitment is the step that breaks the water down to its molecular level. It is indeed a step where you learn to know that you are not alone anymore. Just do a routine check and see if you are okay with the idea of someone being in that very routine you follow each day. Start getting used to that feeling of having someone around and then you will slowly learn to steer clear of commitment phobia.
Start getting used to that feeling of having someone around and then you will slowly learn to steer clear of commitment phobia.
The wonderland of life
Falling in love is indeed the best feeling ever, but being in love is different entirely. Your love is there and not there at the same time, because it all depends on your way of perceiving things. Compromise, but do it unconditionally, so that it won’t come back to haunt your conscience.
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6 reasons why you should go with gut feel while choosing your partner
How past life regression helped a man overcome his phobia of commitment
I was desperate for a boyfriend – here’s how I got my sanity back!
