We all rely on others to a greater or lesser extent – it is a natural part of life, as humans are social beings. But sometimes, people take this too far and become overly demanding.
There is nothing wrong with having standards or expecting a certain level of commitment from others. But when those expectations start to go overboard and become a constant source of stress, it becomes very difficult to interact with their holders.
It’s not always easy to readily realize that your girlfriend is one of these people. But if you take a closer look at her behavior and way of thinking, you can figure it out and decide whether it’s worth staying in a relationship with her.
7 signs you’re dating a demanding girl
1. She’s rarely satisfied
You’re dissatisfied because you’re experiencing negative emotions by not meeting inflated expectations, and your girlfriend is dissatisfied because she thinks you’re just not doing enough.
Demanding people, in principle, rarely experience pleasure in anything. They always want more and easily find flaws in anything that spoils their mood. This tires both themselves and those around them.
It’s hard to feel good about yourself in a relationship where everything you do is met with a look of displeasure and a hint that you could have done better, but you didn’t try. And it doesn’t matter how much effort you put in and what sacrifices you make to please the girl you love.
2. She’s a control freak
If your girlfriend tries to control your every move, from how you dress to who you socialize with, she is characterized as demanding.
The need to control every aspect of life, even those that don’t lend themselves to it, comes from a fear of uncertainty or perceived loss of power.
To avoid these unpleasant feelings, the girl constantly tries to micromanage you by delegating responsibilities and taking away your independence.
This relationship behavior leads to you feeling weak and depressed and doubting your strength. Remember that anyone needs personal space and independence, even in a relationship, so no one should be allowed to take it away.
3. Most of her expectations are unrealistic
As a rule, demanding people have high expectations of those around them. But here’s the catch: their expectations are not just high but unrealistic. They set the bar so high that it’s almost impossible to achieve, not just for you but for most people in the world.
Your girlfriend may talk about how she sees the perfect relationship, pressure you to get closer to perfection, or openly state what you should do to become the man of her dreams.
She constantly expects you to conform to the idealized version of reality she creates in her head. And this can be extremely stressful for you. Day in and day out, realizing that you don’t live up to the inflated expectations can make you feel frustrated, insecure, and simply like a failure.
You can’t stay in this state long if you don’t want to damage your self-esteem and well-being. It’s important to either talk to the girl about the fact that it’s time for her to “come down to earth” or look for someone who will be less demanding.
4. She constantly criticizes
A demanding person is an inveterate critic. In this case, he does not care to whom and in what situation to point out mistakes and flaws. He will do it even if it is not necessary, presenting his feedback as “useful,” “constructive,” and “helping to become better.”
The longer you are in a relationship with such a person, the lower your self-esteem. If a girl constantly criticizes you and picks on you for little things, you start to lose confidence and feel humiliated.
5. She’s a bad listener
In order for communication to be effective and benefit the relationship, both participants in the dialogue must be able to both talk and listen.
However, if your girlfriend is too demanding, she lacks this important skill.
She is so focused on her wants and needs that she ignores your feelings, opinions, and interests.
Even if you repeatedly tell her something important, she doesn’t hear you or turn any dialogue into a monologue about what she’s unhappy with or wants.
This dominance of the conversation makes you feel unimportant, unvalued, disadvantaged, and resentful.
6. She doesn’t take no for an answer
Demanding people don’t know how to take rejection, seeing it as a personal insult or an attack on their authority. This can be incredibly difficult, especially if you try maintaining balance and peace in your relationship.
You can hardly feel happy when the girl you love constantly violates your boundaries, and the word ‘no’ triggers arguments and resentment.
In addition, it is easy to feel that you are not heard and not appreciated when any refusal is perceived as an excuse to insist on their own and push you.
That’s exactly what a demanding girl does, and she genuinely believes she’s doing nothing wrong and deserves you to do only what she wants you to do.
7. She lacks empathy
You may have noticed that you don’t get any feedback when telling your girlfriend about your problems and worries. You can’t get support and sympathy from her, even if the situation you find yourself in is exactly what you want.
Demanding people find it difficult to put themselves in the place of others and understand what they are going through. Of course, we all have times when it is difficult to support someone, such as during serious difficulties in life.
However, empathy is crucial to building strong relationships because it helps develop respect and understanding. If your girlfriend is indifferent to your feelings regardless of what’s going on in your and her life, you’re probably dealing with a demanding person and settling for less than you deserve.
