Everyone most likely at some point in their life has experienced a heart-wrenching breakup. That terrible feeling of sadness that comes over you when you realize that the “love of your life”, just simply isn’t. If you are lucky, you can figure this out early on in the relationship, and you will be much better off in the long run. Letting a doomed relationship continue on in hopes that everything will eventually work out is really not healthy for either of you.

If you do figure out that ‘the one’ isn’t the one, and you’re not meant to be, it’s because you have been given red flags from the universe. These red flags protect us from destructive relationships by letting us listen to our intuition so we can reconsider our situation. When you have that ‘bad’ feeling in your gut, you may not be able to figure out what the red flag is trying to tell you, but you do know the universe is trying to wave you in a different direction. As the relationship moves through time, pay attention and heed the warnings from these red flags that might pop up. Remember, the universe has our best interest at heart, so if you get any feeling that something is a little off, cut those ties now! Read on to see the list of some of those red flags from the universe.

15. Chemistry Is Non-Existent

There are many consequences a relationship may suffer if there is no physical attraction. Some people contend that chemistry is overrated, and feel that other factors like friendship, communication, and long-term goals are more important for a successful long-term relationship. While it is true that those things do make a relationship healthy, I have to disagree that physical attraction is not important for a number of reasons. A relationship with no chemistry usually leads to couples have little to no intimacy, creating a poor bedroom life. That in turn can lead to affairs, nitpicking, lack of respect, lack of affection and last but not least the dreaded distance.

14. You Are Both Too Stubborn To Compromise

Everyone knows this for a fact, relationships are all about compromises. With that being said, if both of you are too stubborn to compromise, the relationship is doomed from the get-go. Usually, if you are in a relationship with someone very stubborn, you can find yourself not really liking that person, and that is pretty detrimental to the whole life-long happiness plan. You can try to be more accepting of the differences that come up, but the math is pretty simple…. 1 stubborn + 1 stubborn = disaster. Now I’m not saying that it won’t work out all the time, just that two stubborn people together must work harder, and be really dedicated because it’s always going to be an uphill battle.

13. Ideas For The Future Are Completely Different

We’re not talking about what to have for dinner future, we’re talking about how many kids, if any, to have future. When the two of you have completely different plans with completely incompatible goals, it is time to rethink the dinner plans and change the person you’re going to have that dinner with. The easiest way to put an expiration date on a relationship, is by asking a few simple ‘future’ questions. First and foremost, are you both in it for the long-haul? If one partner is less committed than the other, well that is just two separate pages and probably two separate books for that matter.

12. Give And Take Is Way More Take

Do you ever wish you could be loved back by your partner as much as you love them? When you feel like you give, and put so much more effort into the relationship then they do, and all you want is for it to be reciprocated. Well, all relationships contain the “Give and Take” aspect, and once the scale tips and the balance is broken, so might be the relationship. Once the difficulties arise from partners feeling like they are not on the “receiving” end, there might only be one option left to explore- stop giving more than you get and see what happens.

11. Crazy In Love

Lots of research has been done by scientists on love and its effects on people, and they all come to the same conclusion, lust impairs our judgment. When you find it hard to be happy without your partner, you are ‘crazy in love’. You are literally addicted to your partner like a drug, and there is no intervention happening. You can’t fight Mother Nature’s chemical cocktail of lust, so what do you do? Well, you just ride it out, hopefully without making too many concessions along the way. It should wear off eventually, but if it doesn’t, you must re-evaluate your situation and find a way to trump biology.

10. You’re NOT Going Anywhere

The old ‘Stuck in a Rut’ stagnant stage of the relationship. Where you’re tired of having nothing to say to each other and utter boredom has set in, is quite common in relationships. It’s like you have been together for a lifetime, but it’s only been a month. In the early stages of a relationship, it’s comforting for partners to want to develop a routine. But if that same routine lasts too long, it can be disastrous. Unless an effort is made by the both of you to change that stagnant behavior on a regular basis, the relationship is doomed to failure and has probably run its course.

9. It’s a NO GO for Parents & Friends 

Parents and friends are people in your life that make your heart happy and when they don’t approve of your partner, it doesn’t feel good. This is a big red flag and you should be a bit concerned as to their unified consensus. Usually, they can see with an objective pair of eyes, things that you are not seeing or are willing to see, about the person you are dating. The opinions of the people in your life that you value the most, are important and you shouldn’t disregard them. You also need to ask yourself if their objections to your partner are going to put you on a very long and bumpy ride you don’t want to be on.

8. Feelings Of Mistrust Sneak In

Not being able to trust your significant other really strains a relationship. So much so, that it can bring it to the breaking point. There are several different stages of mistrust that a relationship can experience. Suspicion, anxiety, fear, doubt and withdrawal are just some of the components to trust issues. When relationships lack trust there is literally a ‘shutdown’ that occurs between partners, which stops allowing you to share personal information with each other. You are no longer carefree so you don’t take risks to allow growth in the relationship. Your safety net is gone, and so are you.

7. Nothing In Common At All

Interests and activities that are shared between partners are how strong long-term relationship bonds are formed. You must have something in common with your mate, other than bedroom passion to keep the foundation sturdy. Mutual respect and love for each other needs to exist long after the flames of lust burn out. It’s not unheard of to survive the ‘nothing in common’ issue, but you are probably not going to be spending much time with each other, so really what is the point? This is probably a good example of why long-distance relationships don’t work out most of the time.

6. Pet Peeves A Million

A relationship is the perfect breeding ground for pet peeves to grow and thrive. Like bacteria, once they start growing in numbers, they grow in strength. Tiny, little habits become so annoying we can no longer tolerate them, speeding up the demise of the relationship. Unfortunately, there is no antibiotic cure for ‘pet-peeve-a-citis’, so what are we to do? Prioritizing the peeves from mildly annoying to highly annoying is the key. Communication by discussing each other’s willingness to work on the issues is a start, but ultimately there will be a coming to Jesus if compromise and acceptance are not practiced.

5. Walking On Eggshells, Instead Of Sunshine

Nothing is worse for a relationship then the feeling that you are constantly walking on eggshells around your partner. That horrible feeling when you might actually push the wrong button and all hell will break loose, making you feel afraid, rejected, unattractive, disregarded and inadequate among many other bad feelings. Walking on eggshells has many negative effects on a relationship. It makes you anxious and allows you to create behavioral adaptations for yourself, like self- criticism and self-editing, in an attempt to keep the peace. Second-guessing your behavior is a no-no and this should mean a non-edited ‘bye-bye’ should be forthcoming.

4. The Past Feels Like The Present

We have all probably been guilty of this at one point or another in a relationship – bringing up the toxic past in an argument. Reminding our partner, and rubbing their nose in their past decisions they made decades ago, is not helpful for the growth and stability of the relationship. Some people more so than others really struggle with trying to forgive their partner’s past. When an argument ensues and the past resurfaces, it’s just plain ugly. The past is exactly that, THE PAST. It can not be changed or brought up in the present like it just happened.

3. They Don’t Have Your Back

Trusting, depending and confiding in one another are essential components, and a must for any successful relationship. If you can’t or don’t have those things then you should definitely move on, and get out of the relationship. It is imperative that you know and feel in your heart of hearts that your partner will always have you back, no matter what the situation or circumstances are. That security is essential for maintaining the partnership and if you notice early on that the person doesn’t have your back, then you should really rethink your situation.

2. The Dreaded Wandering Eye

Is it considered insensitive behavior or just perfectly normal for your partner to have a wandering eye? There is a huge difference between the occasional quick glance and the flat-out blatant 30-second ogle. Most people in relationships are not too bothered by the quickie check-out, because all humans have to some extent a small amount of exhibitionism and voyeurism in them. Keep in mind however that things, like making comments, flirting and repeatedly checking out other people, can really undermine a relationship. Having self-control and being respectful is the best way to maintain a good relationship. If you don’t have that, maybe it’s time to part ways.

1. He is completely selfish

Two is the key factor here, not one. A relationship consists of two people together focusing on life’s daily activities with all the day-to-day interactions along, with life-long goals, and the paths to be taken along the way. When there are signs your partner is too selfish to be in a relationship. And if you feel that they are prioritizing the “me” part more than the “we” part in the relationship, you better cut ties. If they talk over you or never even ask how your day was, or they try and sabotage your success by distracting you from your work goals by starting a fight or demanding time, perhaps there is no hope.