• What’s going on when a man likes a woman but isn’t ready for a relationship?
Clinical Psychologist Gaby Balsells:
There are 2 things that could be happening here:
- He’s just not that into her. He might like her plenty but not quite enough to really put both feet in and invest the time, energy and resources to commit to a relationship.
- He has been hurt in the past and is not ready to open up his heart to a new relationship. He have witnessed his parents or family have really hard marriages, or he might be jaded from being hurt by exes in the past which is why now he’s avoiding commitment and protecting his heart.
Either way, if he says that he is not ready for a relationship here’s my advice: Believe him. Trust that he knows what he needs and be grateful he’s being honest.
The right question to ask here is not why he doesn’t want that, but to ask, Do you desire a relationship? If you do, then this is not a match. The sooner you can gracefully end this relationship and move on with your dating journey, the sooner you will find someone who is aligned with what you are wanting and looking for.