Signs Someone isn’t Ready to Date Yet

Before we start, there are exceptions to every dating rule, so there may be people who fit into these categories who are in fact ready to date. However, on the whole these are good indicators of whether someone is ready to start dating again or not. If you’re not entirely sure about whether you are ready to start dating, please substitute ‘somebody’ for ‘you’.

“I can’t be bothered with this…” – If someone can’t be bothered to fill in their profile, it probably means that they aren’t too committed to the idea of finding love online. It may be that they have been convinced into it by a friend or family member, or that they just don’t have time to date at the moment.

“I won’t date anyone who…” – A list of desires is fine if it’s something along the lines of “must love children and animals”, but when it ventures into what sounds like a slanging match it’s a good sign that someone isn’t ready to move on. Watch out for phrases like “I don’t want anyone who thinks it’s OK to leave clothes on the floor” or “I won’t date anyone who can’t be more than 5 miles away from their mother”.

The ex factor – If they can’t help but compare everyone to their ex, that should flash up warning signs. It’s completely understandable to mention your ex during a date if you spent many years with them, but if your date starts saying “[insert name] didn’t used to do it like that” it’s a sign that they haven’t moved on.

They keep cancelling on you – Rearranging one or two meet ups is not a reason to call things off, but if your date keeps cancelling on you with more and more elaborate excuses each time, they may just be in it for the chase. This is one however where you should go with your gut-feeling as some people may genuinely have to keep rearranging due to their work or family circumstances, but may still be very keen to meet up with you.