The early days of dating someone new can be wonderful.
Youre getting to know someone, learning about all of their quirks and figuring each other out.
Part of that is recognizing if something about them seems off.
He might be all smiles toward you early on, but thats because hes still trying to impress you.
We asked dating columnist and regularKotaku contributorDr.
If youre not interested, thats that.
Giving in to their unwanted advances now will only encourage the same boundary pushing behavior later on.
If they cant respect your boundaries this early into your relationship, you dont want to be with them.
Not all boundaries are sexual, however.
Your date sharing too much personal information too soon can be a boundary-pushing red flag as well.
They get too serious too fast
Everyone should date at their own comfortable pace.
Greg is trying to lock you down before you have the chance to recognize his flaws.
This is calledlove bombing.
Your date says and does everything perfectly, as if they were in a romantic comedy or romance novel.
Remember:If things seem too good to be true, they probably are.
Be aware of your dates expectations of you as well.
), or if its obvious they spend way more than they can afford.
Basically, if they dont value money the way you do, thats a bad sign.
Odds are youre not a teenager anymoreyou dont need to date like one.
Inappropriate social behavior:Theres a time and place for certain humor, conversation topics, and other behavior.
You want to be a partner, not a parent.
Also, definitely avoid anyone whouses neggingas a flirting strategy.
That is the worst and a giant red flag.
If Amanda says something that comes across as truly hurtful, say something about it.
If you leave it unchecked, it could lead to an abusive relationship down the line.
Disrespect can come in all shapes and sizes, though, and its not always easy to read.
Your date may bejudgmental about your appearance or lifestyle.
Or they mayassume things about your culture or background, regardless of what you tell them.
Thats essentially code for Are you going to get fat on me?
Dont just listen to what theyre saying; listen tohowtheyre saying it.
Implications can be just as disrespectful as straight-up insults, and they can be sinister and long-held.
Theyre a drama queen/king
Some people live for drama.
Life is already dramatic enough, so save yourself the struggle and look for someone a little more level-headed.
They play games with you
No, not the fun kind of games.
Love games, dating games, pick-up gamesthey all lead to people wasting their time and getting hurt.
According to Nerdlove, if someone is actually interested in you, they should show it fairly consistently.
When it seems like it keeps coming up and seems forced.
In college, Ive never been with a black guy before is hot.
But were adults now.
Theres nothing exotic or dangerous about me.
Im just a dude who felt your game and liked your verbs.
If theyve only got one foot in the pool, its time to climb out and dry off.
They ask you to do things that they refuse to reciprocate, like oral sex.
Both of these red flags spell out trouble in the future.
Either way, theres no reason for you to spend time in a sexually unsatisfying relationship.
A compliment is nice, but nothing but compliments makes it obvious what theyre after.
You hear those trumpets?
Its a red flag raising ceremony.
That wont get you very far.
They may have been really nervous the first time they met you.
Or maybe they acted selfishly at first because they wanted to impress you.
Go beyond the first, awkward coffee date and make a run at get to know someone.
That red flag you noticed might not actually be red in the right light.
You might want to give someone a few dates before you pull the plug.
Give them a chance to relax and get comfortable being themselves around you.
Keep your eye out, but dont abandon ship every time you see one flapping in the wind.
