People set a lot of love traps, and if you keep falling into the same old patterns and relationships that don’t work, you may be falling into them over and over again.
How do you define a love trap? You fall into one of these traps if you always end up in relationships that are based on the same patterns or your need for ease. Love traps are hard to see coming, so it’s best to be ready for them when they happen.
What does "love trap" mean?
When you say the word “love trap,” it may sound dramatic, but it is a real and common problem among single people who are easy to impress. Love traps are relationships that seem good at first, but hurt your emotional health in the end.
Love traps can look like a relationship with someone who has the same job, a great first date, or even an interesting and mysterious stranger. Love traps work on a lot of people because they look too good to be true. Worst of all, you won’t realize you’re in one until it’s too late.
How different love traps work
If you don’t want to get caught in a love trap, you should know what they are and how to avoid them.
#1: The love trap of “meant to be.” The prom king and queen are often caught in the “meant to be” love trap. Even if everyone thinks you should end up together, that doesn’t mean you have to. It usually happens when two people find out that they have similar qualities, such as being attractive, smart, creative, etc. On the surface, you might seem like a great match, but that’s not enough to make a relationship work.
#2: The love trap of the perfect date. This love trap is tricky because it makes you think that the relationship will be as great as your date. Most people fall into this because they like the person in front of them. Because of this, you should pay more attention to the person and less to the experience.
#3: The love trap of the forbidden fruit effect. If someone falls into this love trap, they will deny it with all their might. This is because the effect of the forbidden fruit happens in the mind. The more you think someone is out of reach or not for you, the more your subconscious will come up with reasons and justifications that you think are reasonable but aren’t.
#4: The love trap of perceived lack. Have you ever think why you started liking someone you never cared about when you saw them with someone else? This is what’s known as “perceived scarcity.” When you hear that someone is in high demand, you might think that they are the last of their kind or that there aren’t many of them left. When you get them, you’ll realize they weren’t what you wanted in the first place.
#5: Getting caught up in love. I don’t even know what that’s like, but I do know that assuming you’re in love is one of the worst ways. Love is a very strong feeling that you can’t measure. When you think of acts of kindness and generosity as signs of love, you might be fooling yourself into thinking you like someone a lot more than you really do.
#5: The “I’m so thankful” love trap. Your sense of gratitude isn’t just about things or money, either. A partner may have given up a lot for you, and that could stop you from telling them that you don’t want to be with them.
#6: The love trap of getting emotionally involved. This is the exact opposite of the love trap of being grateful. When you put too much time, energy, and money into a relationship, you might not want to end it because you aren’t sure if you can give as much to someone else. It’s like building your dream house in the middle of a dry desert and living there until you die of thirst.
#7: The love trap of “now or never.” When a chance comes your way, it’s natural to want to take it. But trying something new is different from committing to it before you know what you’re getting into. When someone thinks they’ll never be in a relationship like the one they’re in again, they’ll hold on to it even if it’s not what they really want.
8. The trap of the second chance. You can fall into this love trap if you are determined to start a relationship even though you aren’t ready. Some second-chance relationships work out, but most of the time they don’t because the people involved haven’t dealt with their old problems or moved on from them. Read about 15 signs you’re in a rebound relationship.
#9: The love trap with really good sex. This is a very dangerous because people want really good sex a lot. People don’t understand that this isn’t always a bad thing. It’s hard to look for someone with whom you are emotionally and sexually compatible. Good sex can be taught and learned, but it’s hard to grow emotional compatibility.
How not to get caught in a love trap
The tips below can help you avoid any of the 9 love traps listed above.
#1: Make a list of 20 qualities you want in a partner. They have to be fair, clear, and not up for discussion. If you are not clear of what you want, you might end up settling for something that won’t make you happy.
#2: Say to yourself that you won’t date anyone who doesn’t meet at least 75% of your criteria. If they don’t have at least 75% of what you want, don’t bother. When you agree to date someone who isn’t what you want, you’ll end up being unhappy with the choice you made.
#3: Spend a lot of time getting to know the person you’re going out with. If you don’t want to get caught in someone’s love trap, don’t put yourself in a position to do so. We listed the things that could happen. If you take the time to figure out if you might be in a love trap, you can avoid a bad relationship in the long run.
#4: Listen to your gut. Some studies have shown that it’s always best to go with your first instinct. If you go with your gut and lose a person you might like, you can always find someone else. If you don’t pay attention to the warning signs and go ahead with a possible love trap, you won’t be able to accept that you made the wrong choice.
#5: Think about why you want to start or stay in a relationship. No matter why you want to start dating someone you like, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Don’t stay for the money, for guilt, or because you feel like you have to. Don’t be there for your partner because you think you have to, but because you want to.
#6: Give up as soon as possible. When you see how obviously wrong you are for someone, stop trying. Stop trying to make things work when it’s clear you can’t. It will be hard, but it can be done. When you let go, you may realize that what you had wasn’t what you needed.
#7: Don’t forget that you don’t have to take less than you deserve. If you can’t do either of those things in a relationship, there’s no reason to stay. People and relationships can change and grow, but there comes a time when you realize that the relationship you’re in hasn’t grown and it’s time to end it. Read: 16 signs you’re settling for a bad relationship.
Getting caught in a love trap can be tiring and bad for both people. It’s called a “love trap” because you feel love or something similar, and it’s those feelings that keep you in an unhealthy relationship. Because of these feelings, it’s also hard to break away from your relationship.
You can still avoid falling into a love trap if you haven’t already done so. Always remember that the life you live and the relationships you build depend on the choices you make. Knowing what’s best for you can help you see that you don’t deserve a love trap.
Articles you might like: Dating Goals That Will Help You Find Your True Love, Your Bad Dating Habits That Keep You from Finding True Love, Thirst Trap: Are You Fostering Low-Esteem?