Backup Lover

The dynamics of dating are becoming more and more complex by the day. From breadcrumbing to ghosting and benching, new trends keep coming every now and again. Just when you thought you had a good grasp on the goings-on in the dating world, something new comes up. One such trend doing the rounds is backburner relationships. According to a study, this type of relationship is one where a potential love interest is kept alive as a backup option.

A person keeps stringing the other along but does not commit to the relationship or get romantically involved. This kind of relationship is heartbreaking and leaves the person at the receiving end with the status of a backup boyfriend or girlfriend. Typically, in these relationships, one person is committed and wants a long-term relationship while the other is simply biding their time as they wait for someone better to come along. There are enough troublesome relationship signs and red flags that tell you that she is just toying with your heart and leading you on even though there is no intent to take things forward.

The same study also suggests that this tendency to keep be on the lookout for a better new prospective partner while keeping one as a backup is considered normal behaviour among human beings. The trouble is that most people fail to identify that they are being treated as a backup plan and get emotionally invested in the relationship. Even if they do notice the signs of being in a backup relationship, they either do not want to acknowledge the writing on the wall or feel incapable of doing something about it.

You ought to understand backup lover meaning in the true sense to be able to identify with certainty whether you have been cast in that role. A backup boyfriend is someone who believes he is in a committed, exclusive relationship when he is just a standby lover. This person has the duties of a boyfriend, without any assurances from the girl he is involved with. The girl, in turn, relies on him as a safety net in case her other pursuits don’t work out or she does not see anyone ‘better’ in the horizon.

Typically, a backup boyfriend is the quintessential good boy who is liked by the girl’s parents. He may not be exceptionally good-looking and have an average lifestyle and career, but he checks all the boxes needed to get the family’s blessings for the relationship. A guy who falls in the category of a backup plan may not inspire excitement in a girl but he sure brings the promise of stability. Therefore, he is always the penultimate choice. However, a standby lover has genuine feelings for the girl, which puts him in a vulnerable place and gives the girl power to manipulate his emotions as she likes. Having a backup plan is a sign of good future planning, except in the case of relationships.

A backup relationship can quickly turn into a complicated mess that inflicts a lot of pain and heartbreak on the person who is emotionally invested. It can be miserable for you if you find out that you are a backup lover for your girl. To be able to take a call on whether or not you want to continue being a standby lover for someone, you first need to evaluate the situation well. Start by looking out for these15 signs she feels you can only be a backup:

 

The girl continues the relationship on her terms

While she does talk to you and hang out with you, she does not fully commit herself to you and establishes certain boundaries in your relationship that you must follow. For example, she might forbid you from posting pictures of you both on your social media or hesitate in being seen in public with you. She might even tell you to never call her unless she says it is okay. And you have never hung out with – or even been introduced to – her friends. If you see this pattern in your relationship, the answer to ‘is she keeping me as a backup?’ becomes apparent.

She doesn’t discuss exclusivity

You hang out with each other, to go the movies together, and have lunch and dinner dates. From the looks of it, it seems like any other normal relationship but there is no exclusivity. Your girlfriend tries her best to evade any discussion on the topic. Despite it being a romantic relationship, she will not accept giving it a status of exclusivity and will continue to use dating apps and flirt with other men.

She avoids physical intimacy

Since what you have with her is just a backup relationship, she will shy away from being physically intimate with you. She will avoid physical contact and advances at all costs. This means not being with you in a personal space such as your place or hers, or not going on vacations with you.

She seems distracted when she is with you

Do you notice your girlfriend is distracted around you? Do you feel she is not interested in what you have to say? When you share your problems with her, she probably brushes them off rather than offering advice or trying to comfort you. Besides, you never get an insight into her vulnerabilities. A better part of your time together is spent with her checking her phone or being more interested in the surroundings than you. If yes, you are dealing with one of the typical signs you are an option to her and not someone she’s in love with.

She’s not available on weekends too

Forget taking out time for you during the week, she doesn’t even have time for you on weekends and holidays. And your suggestions to meet or hang out are shot down with a standard ‘I’m busy’ excuse. You have the answer to ‘is she keeping me as a backup’, if all her plans revolved around her friends and other people in her life and you don’t even feature on her list of priorities.

Her social media is abuzz with other guys

You can be sure you’re in a backup relationship when not only is there no exclusivity but also a swarm of other guys to compete with. While she is not cool with posting anything to do with the two of you on social media, her accounts are full of photos and posts with these other guys. This could well mean that these others in her life are part of her backup plan, or worse, that are the options she’s pursuing while keeping you as a standby lover.

You have never met her close friends

You are the quintessential backup boyfriend if your so-called partner does everything in her power to make sure that you do not meet her close friends. This is primarily because she doesn’t want you to think that things are taking a serious turn. Even if you insist, she’d probably make some excuse or the other to get out of it.

She does not share things with you

Her achievements, joys, fears, worries, vulnerabilities – she does not share these things with you. You constantly live with this nagging feeling that she is emotionally distant and you are not her go-to person. This is among the unmistakable signs she feels you can only be a backup. She could be dealing with a crisis on the professional or personal front, and you will find out weeks later rather than when she is stressed about it. She only wants your attention, not you.

The girl is not emotionally invested in the relationship

Another indicator of a backup relationship is that your partner is not emotionally invested in the relationship or you. Simply because you are her second choice. Typically, when you are dating someone and they become the focus on your life. If she isn’t bothered by distance in the relationship, it’s time to read the writing on the wall.

Yet, she can’t bear the idea of you moving on

When you do try to snap out of this unfulfilling relationship and move on, she will go out of her way to make sure that does not work out. You will suddenly see her become overprotective and jealous. If you’re truly madly in love with this girl, this gesture may be enough to melt your heart and make you stay. But do remember she’s doing this only because she doesn’t want to lose her backup boyfriend and not because she loves you

Any confrontations lead to dramatic reactions

Whenever you try to confront her about her behaviour pattern, she invariably ends up crying and being unreasonably dramatic. Even if you try to break up with her, she will use every trick in the book to keep you committed to the so-called relationship with her. That’s only because she wants to string you along for as long as possible as her backup plan. Don’t let this behaviour sway you or fill you with the fear of losing her. You need to know what she wants out of this relationship for the sake of your sanity and well-being.

She backs out of plans last minute

Whenever you make a plan to do something together, more often than not she will cancel last minute in case there is something that needs her attention. Let’s say you have a romantic date planned but her friends are going partying. She thinks that the latter will be more fun and so cancels her plans with you without hesitation. You may have spent a lot of money and time planning this date but she is not considerate of your efforts.

Of course, there are certain exceptional situations where other commitments take precedence over our love life. But if this behaviour is more a norm than an exception, you are not her priority. The sooner you realise that this one of the worrying relationship signs, the better it will be for you.

Dating her is turning out to be expensive

When you’re the backup boyfriend, you will also be treated like a cash cow that can be milked whenever needed. If she is behind on rent or can’t afford that pair of shoes she really needs, she will come to you to ask you to help her out. She will never offer to pitch in when you are out together and will expect you to pay for movies, dinner, etc. So, instead of building a good physical and emotional connection with you, she focuses on how to benefit from this relationship.

She compares you to other guys

The girl who is stringing you along as her backup plan will probably keep comparing you to the other guys in her life. She will keep finding faults in you and use your vulnerabilities to make you feel inadequate and small. If you cook something for her, she will tell you how her guy best friend makes it much better. If you take her somewhere, she will tell you how another guy planned a much better date. Nothing you do will ever be good enough and she will constantly belittle you.

Your gut tells you that something is amiss

Having her in your life will never make you feel happy and satisfied. You live with a constant nagging feeling that something is not right, something is missing in your relationship and this will turn you into an insecure mess. If you feel it in your gut that you’re just a backup boyfriend to her, accept it and try to correct the course keeping in mind what’s best for you.

 

To Be or Not To Be?

Being in a backup relationship can, by no measure, be a gratifying experience. So, it is bound to pose the existential ‘to be or not be be’ dilemma at some point. Well, if you are just looking for a casual fling, then being a backup plan may not hurt. In this scenario, you’re not emotionally invested in the bond yourself. However, if you want a serious, long-term commitment, you need to get out as soon as you can. Why not look for the love of your life, instead of wasting your time, energy and resources on a hollow relationship?

Benjamin Mensah

By Benjamin Mensah

Benjamin Mensah [Freshhope] is a young man, very passionate about the youth of this Generation. Very friendly, reliable and very passionate about the things of God and all that I do. The mission is to inform, educate and entertain. Feel free to send your whatsapp messages to +233266550849 and call on +233242645676

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