I think it's a bit unreasonable for her to expect you to wait around until she's done seeing what she's missed out on.
If she wants to go and party, she needs to break up with you and go party. She shouldn't try to string you along, making you wait until she's ready.
Out of curiosity, does she expect you to be completely celibate while she goes out experiencing whatever she missed?
Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
Well, you can talk to her and ask her not to leave. But in the end it's her decision and there's nothing more you can do.
But I wouldn't wait around for her. I did that once and I wasted years trying to keep something together as she became more and more distant. The best thing I done was gotten over her and met someone who wanted a relationship with me.
Yeah, I'm inclined to say that if she wants to take a break, go out and party, and be with other guys short of sleeping with them, then that's a fucking breakup, even if it's nominally temporary.
I think if she wants to do this, you break up; like, you're free to do what you want, and she's free to do what she wants, and if you get back together later, then great; if not, que sera, sera.
The whole "I want to go party with other guys, but I want you to wait around for me" is pretty much bullshit.
Just to put it out there, it's entirely possible that if you don't let her go out and explore or whatever, she may resent you for it later on and you'll break up anyway. So I guess the cliche if you love her you'll let her go applies here.
It's a shitty situation, but there really aren't many options here
She doesn't want to be with you anymore, at least not exclusively. She probably sees you as a bit of a wet blanket, and you're not helping your case by speaking in absolutes, telling her she'll be "spoiled goods", and making "counteroffers" -- in fact, you sound demanding, petulant, and controlling.
Just let her go, and, if you want to avoid this in the future, I'd personally suggest dating women closer to your own level of life experience.
it's not really a matter of being celibate or not; she's basically asking you to remain emotionally attached while assuming none of that burden herself
if she doesn't think she can ultimately be content without doing the whole wild oats thing that's unfortunate for you, but it's an okay reason to break up. What's profoundly wrong is for her to ask you not to do the same.
it was the smallest on the list but
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Let her go and move on. She wants to go, maybe she genuinely intends to come back but it would be silly to wait around. If she decides later that she wants to get back together, re-evaluate at that time. And don't ever refer to a woman as "damaged goods" just because she's slept with other guys. You're not a goddamn teenager anymore. It's her business who she sleeps with and doesn't make her a slut just because she had sex with a dude other than you.
That "I'll come back later" line is usually just that: a line. She may genuinely believe she will, or maybe she just wants to let you down easy, but either way, in situations like this, "break" is just shorthand for "breakup".
She doesn't want to be with you anymore, at least not exclusively. She probably sees you as a bit of a wet blanket, and you're not helping your case by speaking in absolutes, telling her she'll be "spoiled goods", and making "counteroffers" -- in fact, you sound demanding, petulant, and controlling.
Just let her go, and, if you want to avoid this in the future, I'd personally suggest dating women closer to your own level of life experience.
I'm with this guy. I would only add that you shouldn't be so quick to lay claim to the position of "most morally grounded people". Relationships should have boundaries that both sides agree on, and sometimes that will have to involve a compromise. All you need to justify the request that your girlfriend not grind or be ground on with strange men is that it would make you uncomfortable. Dressing it up as some kind of consensus moral high ground just makes it look like you're unwilling or unable to advocate for yourself on your own merits.
I hear you, man. We've all been there, on one side or another: an otherwise good relationship where two people just aren't at the same place in their lives.
My best advice for your own sanity is to just break things off completely and respectfully. Don't be flowery and build up your actions or tear down hers. Just let her know that you respect her and that maybe you wish you were both in the same place, but you're not, so it's just best to end things.
In the end, you will feel better about yourself, and you will get over it more quickly if you handle it this way.
You may be blind sided, but this is probably something she's been privately pondering for a while and keeping hidden from you simply because she didn't want to discuss it with you and wanted to make up her own mind. Just because it took you by surprise, that absolutely doesn't mean she hasn't given this a lot of thought.
Don't try and figure out where you "went wrong". You can't read her mind, so if you ask her then you have no way of telling if she's being entirely honest with you which makes the feedback of dubious value. There are many reasons for her to be dishonest with you either by outright lying or simply omission. She may mislead you out of maliciousness and resentment, or because she wants to protect your feelings, or simply because she wants to avoid an argument among just a few reasons. It also assumes that relationships end necessarily because one side fucked up. Often people just drift apart and their lives take them different directions. Instead of trying to figure out where the fault lies, just accept that she wants something else and let her go.
I realize that's how it seems to you. However that doesn't mean this was a sudden shift on her part. She probably has been pondering this for months. You just weren't aware of it.
1) She wants to break up with you but doesn't have the ovaries to do it directly. In this case, you should respectfully end it with her and move on.
2) She genuinely wants to explore for a bit before settling down with you. In this case, you should respectively end it with her and move on.
Scenario 1 is straightforward--end things amicably on the best terms possible, given the circumstances. Scenario 2 is a bit more involved--you're letting her get her wild oats on while maintaining your self-respect. It's a confident move, and while women are varied and mysterious, one universal truth generally applies--they love confidence.
Note the "respectfully" part, though. I know this seems sudden and your feelings are bruised, but pettiness will only make things worse.
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zepherinRussian warship, go fuck yourselfRegistered Userregular
I have always been a fan of clean breaks. I hate the slow degradation of a relationship it's the worst. If things are spiraling out of control, but she keeps coming back or I keep coming back and then it burns me I eventually force a clean break. She has in effect broken up with you. I've heard similar lines before, I need a break, I need some space, it isn't you it's me. In the end the result is the same. She is breaking up with you. Your counter offer misses the point, she doesn't want to be with you any more, and is bad at expressing that idea. Maybe she wants to party, maybe she just wants to have sex with someone else, who knows, not your problem any more.
Also Your ideas of spoiled goods, and that you don't want that, is going to leave you old and alone if they progress, because they increasingly become unrealistic the older you get. And after 30 it becomes increasingly unrealistic to date women with out children.
She's unsure if there's anything out there that's better then you. If there is, then you are considered gone. If there isn't then she'll come back and settle down with you. AkA. you are her backup plan at this point.
You could ofcourse counter offer and ask if you could be with other girls during your "break"... However this is the sort of gambit that you'll ultimately lose.
It's not as bad as it makes out to be, if you can trust your girlfriend's words that she won't sleep around. I don't think being touched and grind a bit would "spoil" anything. Your biggest concern is if she does sleep around, or if she found someone better and never look back.
If she does come back knowing more stuff about herself sexually, then it's on you to up your game
Personally I would be okay with the proposal that she's offering up. It's actually a pretty big test to your relationship. as cliché as it sounds... "if you love someone let them go, if he/she comes back then you'll know he/she is meant to be." Quite frankly, if you keep a tight reign on her now, you'll lose her eventually.
P.S obligatory suggestion to watch "500 days of Summer"
It's an unfortunate situation, but you should at least be grateful that she's talking about it with you beforehand and you have the option of breaking things off before any actual infidelity occurs. Sounds like you know what needs to be done, best of luck!
ceresWhen the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderatormod
She sounds really young. Chances are that she's right that she has a lot of growing up to do and a lot of experiences to have, but that doesn't mean you have to wait on her if you aren't comfortable and I'm glad to see that you're handling it well.
And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
Great news. Well, as great as news of a breakup can be, anyway.
I would highly suggest keeping a little distance, at least at first. It sounds like you're handling it great, but it will be much easier to move on if you're not constantly exposed to her.
Ha! I didn't mean that you should, you know, duck around a corner every time you see her coming...more that it would probably be a good idea to avoid hanging out with her, or talking on the phone any more than is necessary to retrieve any belongings that might have made it from one of your homes to the other. Intentionally avoiding her at work would not only be unprofessional, but potentially counterproductive.
However you decide to proceed, @XOCentric, I really want to commend you. It sounds like you've made some tough decisions here, because they were best for you. That's a great sign that everything's going to be fine, and soon.
Just want to say that I've been in the same situation as your girlfriend, in a great relationship with a wonderful boyfriend but unable to ignore this nagging feeling that maybe I'm missing out on something or that I feel a little more tied down and caged than I should. I think you did the right thing, even though its pretty damn tough.
Like naporeon says, you dont have to avoid her or be unfriendly or anything, just dont make plans together and wait awhile before you hang out in groups! Best of luck to you, I hope things work out
You did the right thing. 3 months from now you will be much happier with yourself. Don't let the immediate situation get ya down. Plenty of fish in the sea that don't need time off to hook up on the side.
Ive been right where your at. It sucks. But you got the right attitude.
Posts
If she wants to go and party, she needs to break up with you and go party. She shouldn't try to string you along, making you wait until she's ready.
Out of curiosity, does she expect you to be completely celibate while she goes out experiencing whatever she missed?
BF3 Battlelog | Twitter | World of Warships | World of Tanks | Wishlist
But I wouldn't wait around for her. I did that once and I wasted years trying to keep something together as she became more and more distant. The best thing I done was gotten over her and met someone who wanted a relationship with me.
I think if she wants to do this, you break up; like, you're free to do what you want, and she's free to do what she wants, and if you get back together later, then great; if not, que sera, sera.
The whole "I want to go party with other guys, but I want you to wait around for me" is pretty much bullshit.
It's a shitty situation, but there really aren't many options here
BF3 Battlelog | Twitter | World of Warships | World of Tanks | Wishlist
Just let her go, and, if you want to avoid this in the future, I'd personally suggest dating women closer to your own level of life experience.
Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Last.fm | Pandora | LibraryThing | formspring | Blue Moon over Seattle (MCFC)
if she doesn't think she can ultimately be content without doing the whole wild oats thing that's unfortunate for you, but it's an okay reason to break up. What's profoundly wrong is for her to ask you not to do the same.
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Last.fm | Pandora | LibraryThing | formspring | Blue Moon over Seattle (MCFC)
I'm with this guy. I would only add that you shouldn't be so quick to lay claim to the position of "most morally grounded people". Relationships should have boundaries that both sides agree on, and sometimes that will have to involve a compromise. All you need to justify the request that your girlfriend not grind or be ground on with strange men is that it would make you uncomfortable. Dressing it up as some kind of consensus moral high ground just makes it look like you're unwilling or unable to advocate for yourself on your own merits.
My best advice for your own sanity is to just break things off completely and respectfully. Don't be flowery and build up your actions or tear down hers. Just let her know that you respect her and that maybe you wish you were both in the same place, but you're not, so it's just best to end things.
In the end, you will feel better about yourself, and you will get over it more quickly if you handle it this way.
Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Last.fm | Pandora | LibraryThing | formspring | Blue Moon over Seattle (MCFC)
Don't try and figure out where you "went wrong". You can't read her mind, so if you ask her then you have no way of telling if she's being entirely honest with you which makes the feedback of dubious value. There are many reasons for her to be dishonest with you either by outright lying or simply omission. She may mislead you out of maliciousness and resentment, or because she wants to protect your feelings, or simply because she wants to avoid an argument among just a few reasons. It also assumes that relationships end necessarily because one side fucked up. Often people just drift apart and their lives take them different directions. Instead of trying to figure out where the fault lies, just accept that she wants something else and let her go.
1) She wants to break up with you but doesn't have the ovaries to do it directly. In this case, you should respectfully end it with her and move on.
2) She genuinely wants to explore for a bit before settling down with you. In this case, you should respectively end it with her and move on.
Scenario 1 is straightforward--end things amicably on the best terms possible, given the circumstances. Scenario 2 is a bit more involved--you're letting her get her wild oats on while maintaining your self-respect. It's a confident move, and while women are varied and mysterious, one universal truth generally applies--they love confidence.
Note the "respectfully" part, though. I know this seems sudden and your feelings are bruised, but pettiness will only make things worse.
Also Your ideas of spoiled goods, and that you don't want that, is going to leave you old and alone if they progress, because they increasingly become unrealistic the older you get. And after 30 it becomes increasingly unrealistic to date women with out children.
She's unsure if there's anything out there that's better then you. If there is, then you are considered gone. If there isn't then she'll come back and settle down with you. AkA. you are her backup plan at this point.
You could ofcourse counter offer and ask if you could be with other girls during your "break"... However this is the sort of gambit that you'll ultimately lose.
It's not as bad as it makes out to be, if you can trust your girlfriend's words that she won't sleep around. I don't think being touched and grind a bit would "spoil" anything. Your biggest concern is if she does sleep around, or if she found someone better and never look back.
If she does come back knowing more stuff about herself sexually, then it's on you to up your game
Personally I would be okay with the proposal that she's offering up. It's actually a pretty big test to your relationship. as cliché as it sounds... "if you love someone let them go, if he/she comes back then you'll know he/she is meant to be." Quite frankly, if you keep a tight reign on her now, you'll lose her eventually.
P.S obligatory suggestion to watch "500 days of Summer"
I would highly suggest keeping a little distance, at least at first. It sounds like you're handling it great, but it will be much easier to move on if you're not constantly exposed to her.
Best of luck.
Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Last.fm | Pandora | LibraryThing | formspring | Blue Moon over Seattle (MCFC)
However you decide to proceed, @XOCentric, I really want to commend you. It sounds like you've made some tough decisions here, because they were best for you. That's a great sign that everything's going to be fine, and soon.
Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Last.fm | Pandora | LibraryThing | formspring | Blue Moon over Seattle (MCFC)
Like naporeon says, you dont have to avoid her or be unfriendly or anything, just dont make plans together and wait awhile before you hang out in groups! Best of luck to you, I hope things work out
Ive been right where your at. It sucks. But you got the right attitude.