Leading Someone On In A Relationship: 7 Ways To Stop

Leading someone on in a relationship is never a well-known act and for a good reason. The tendency of someone to lead you on has many implications.

It can hurt your feelings, cause issues in the future and even ruin relationships altogether. However, if you feel like you are being led on, there is hope to change it.

Leading someone on in a relationship doesn’t always have obvious signs or appear as such or seem like something that should worry one particular person.

There is often an assumption that someone isn’t possible to lead someone else because they are dating them; however, this is not always the case.

10 Worrying Signs Of Leading Someone On In A Relationship

1. You’re Possible A Dating

There are various signs when you are being led on.  Some of these may be obvious, and some may be less so, but in reality, the signs have little effect on the person leading you on.

The person leading you on will not necessarily believe that their actions are a problem and will continue to do it in the future.

2. They Keep Messing With You

This can mean anything from subtle hints to outright threats. These can be verbal or physical. Sometimes these can be positive, in which case it could be a sign of consideration.

Sometimes they are not. Regardless, the person leading you on will continue to do so in order to control and/or manipulate you, which is not a sign of confidence or a nice thing for them to do.

3. They Forgot To Tell You Something

Sometimes the person leading you on will forget important information and seem disorganized. They may forget details relating to your relationship or even your birthdays and anniversaries.

4. You Waited For Them To Call

This could be a sign that the lead person is potentially leading you on and might not want to see you in their life anymore.

5. They Appear Uninterested In Dating You

When someone appears uninterested in dating you, they may not just be uninterested in logging into Facebook on your account or talking about their most recent relationship.

The lead person will not show any real interest in talking about other people they are likely to date or even talk about taking them out for coffee, which is all important signs when being led on. It could be a sign that they are leading you on and not ready to commit.

6. You’re Having The Same Conversation Again And Again

When you have the same conversation, again and again, it can be a good or a bad thing. It can be a sign that the person you are talking to is leading you on, but it could also mean that they don’t want to lead you on at all.

Sometimes there is no reason for this happening; it could simply be that the person is bored of hearing about your relationship for six months in a row.

7. They Show Little To No Interest In Spending Time With You

When people lead you on, they often don’t show interest in spending time with you. Sometimes this can be even small things such as making time for lunch or other activities, which may not seem like a big thing but is actually a sign that the person leading you on might not want to see you anymore.

8. They Don’t Agree To Plans

Sometimes they will just not agree to plans at all and occasionally leave them up in the air and make them seem spontaneous with little notice. This can be a sign that they want to lead you on until they get tired of it and want to break things up.

9. They’re Not Busy

When you’re leading someone on, it might seem like a good idea to take them on holidays or other plans away from home, but if the lead person is not busy and does not have plans, that could be a sign that they are contributing to being led on by not taking time off work or staying at home.

10. You Have To Make The First Move

When someone is leading you on, the first move should always be yours unless you specifically ask for their assistance in deciding if the relationship is going somewhere.

If they are making all the first moves with you, that could be a sign that they are not really interested in you but may be interested in the idea of a relationship.

The 7 Ways To Stop Leading Someone On In A Relationship

1. Don’t Accept It

This is simple advice but can be difficult to apply. If you feel you are being led on, don’t accept it; instead, tell them how it feels for you. You can actually do this as early as possible such as before the second date or even after just one plan together.

This will work well if the person is leading you on by accident and will even stop completely if you speak up about it, which sends the message of ‘I am not interested.

2. Tell Someone

You can tell a trusted friend or family member about your situation or what is happening to you. You should tell them how it feels for you and how it makes you feel and make it clear that this shouldn’t happen.

If your friends know about this, they will also make sure not to try to lead you on; other people may not even be able to lead on their friends.

3. Talk To Someone Else

Sometimes you need to get a second opinion or discuss this with someone else. You could speak to your close friend or family to make sure they understand what is happening.

If the person leading you on is not aware of their actions, it could be a good idea to tell them the truth, and if they can accept that, things might improve.

4. Change It

If you don’t want this relationship in the future or your desire is to stop being led on, then it doesn’t really matter when you realize that you’re lead on, just as long as you do so before it affects your confidence and feelings towards them.

You could change it as soon as possible by letting them know how you feel or giving them a certain amount of time to explain the situation to you.

5. Go Out With Someone Else

You could also go out with someone else to avoid being led. When you are not spending time with the person leading you on and are instead spending time with other people, they will begin to realize that they’re not getting anywhere, which can be a good thing for you.

6. Go Out With An Open Mind

When you are going out with someone, try to go out without any expectations and without anything planned out. This will stop you from being led on by other people and will allow you to be with them without thinking about the future.

7. Change The Situation

You could also change the situation by going out with a different person altogether or not seeing them at all, which can easily solve your problem and make you feel content.

There is nothing wrong with leading someone on in a relationship if both parties are aware of it and are happy to continue. However, it shouldn’t lead to anyone getting emotional or hurt if the person is not interested.

The Bottom Line

If you think you are being led on, it’s always a good idea to discuss the situation with someone you trust who can help you make an informed decision. This doesn’t mean that if you don’t tell anyone about your relationship, you are not led on, but things will be less difficult for you if this is the case.