12 Signs You're A Loyal But Foolish Partner Who Is Holding A One-Sided Relationship Together

Are you in a one-sided relationship?

A bearded man with short hair is in the foreground, slightly out of focus, wearing a white shirt. Behind him, a woman with long, wavy hair and a white shirt is in focus, looking sideways and smiling softly. They are in a sunlit room with dark walls.

Are you wondering whether your relationship is one-sided and you’re wasting your time with someone who isn’t as invested as you are? Then check to see if any of these 12 signs apply to your current situation.

1. You’re always giving, but rarely if ever given anything in turn.

A man and a woman sit closely together, with the man gently resting his arm around the woman's shoulder. The woman appears thoughtful, looking downwards, while the man looks at her with concern. Both are casually dressed and positioned in a softly lit environment.

You might make your partner coffee or a meal when they’re working, but they never bother to do the same for you. Similarly, you may wash their clothes or buy them something sweet as a surprise, but this type of generosity is never returned. Nor even appreciated, for that matter.

2. You’re there when they need you, but that support is never reciprocated.

A woman with blonde hair wearing a mustard-colored shirt and a man with short hair and a white T-shirt sit across from each other at a table. They hold hands and gaze at each other, with sunlight streaming in from the window behind them.

They’ll turn to you to be their pillar of support when they need you, but ignore you whenever they aren’t dealing with some kind of crisis. Then, when difficulty arises and you need their help or strength, they aren’t available or they have something else more important to attend to.

3. They need to know everything about you, but won’t open up about themselves.

A man and a woman are walking hand in hand outdoors. The man, holding a guitar, is wearing sunglasses, a white shirt with a yellow pattern, and blue jeans. The woman, also in sunglasses, is dressed in a yellow top and denim shorts. The background shows city buildings and greenery.

Your partner might interrogate you like a Gestapo officer so they know every single detail about your life, but they’re ultra secretive about their own. You might not know where they work, or what their parents’ names are, but they know your blood type, shoe size, and your kindergarten teacher’s name.

4. Your needs are “demanding” whereas theirs are perfectly reasonable.

A man and a woman sit together at a table with mugs in their hands, looking off into the distance. The image is brightly lit, with large windows in the background letting in natural light. The atmosphere suggests a casual and relaxed setting.

When you try to express your personal desires in the relationship, you’re brushed off as being needy or unreasonable. In contrast, not only are you expected to fulfill their needs, they make them a priority over anything else in your partnership, and threaten to leave if those needs aren’t met.

5. You bear the weight of most of the labor and responsibilities.

A man and a woman sit on a bench in a park. Both are wearing yellow shirts and blue jeans. The man looks to his left, appearing upset, while the woman gestures with her hand, seemingly trying to communicate with him. Trees and grass are visible in the background.

There’s a noted imbalance between your respective responsibilities, whether the labor is physical or emotional. They may be off gaming or watching TV while you’re cooking, doing laundry, and cleaning litter boxes, and they’ll still expect you to make all personal appointments, grocery lists, and upcoming plans while they relax.

6. Your money is “family funds”, but theirs is theirs alone.

A person in a suit sits at a table with hands poised to separate pieces of a wooden puzzle. The puzzle pieces are marked with icons of money bags adorned with euro symbols, illustrating a financial concept like asset division or money management.

Although you both might work full time, they insist on keeping most of their own income as personal spending money, while you’re expected to use your paycheck to cover significantly more than your fair share of the rent/mortgage payments, as well as the utilities, grocery bills, and entertainment funds.

7. Their family get-togethers are a priority, but yours are not.

Four people are seated around a table, enjoying a meal together. The table is set with various dishes, including a salad, bread, and other foods. The setting appears to be a home with large windows in the background, allowing natural light to illuminate the scene.

Your brother’s upcoming college graduation doesn’t mean much to your partner, and they have no plans to attend the ceremony with you, whereas their sister’s pregnancy is cause for a massive celebration, including a baby shower hosted at your place. The same goes for holiday and birthday meetups, weddings, and funerals.

8. Communication is always on their terms.

A man and a woman in business attire are sitting at a glass-top table in an outdoor setting, possibly a café or office terrace. The man is engrossed in his smartphone while the woman looks contemplatively at the table. Modern buildings are visible in the background.

They expect their texts and messages to be answered immediately, whereas yours linger until such time as they see fit to get back to you. Similarly, your unanswered phone calls will go directly to voicemail but if you don’t answer immediately when they call, they demand to know why not.

9. If there is any intimacy, you’re the only one who initiates it.

A couple wearing white shirts is lying down and cuddling. The man, with a beard and short hair, is leaning back with a content expression, while the woman, with shoulder-length hair, embraces him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder and smiling gently.

They haven’t initiated any type of intimacy in known memory, and are content to do their own thing, on their own time, with or without you. As such, if there’s any type of physical intimacy between you, you’re the one who has to initiate it, leaving you feeling unwanted and undesirable.

10. You go out of your way to make plans.

A man and a woman, both wearing white sweaters, are sitting outdoors on a blanket, toasting with red mugs. The woman is wearing a black hat, and they are smiling at each other. There is a wicker basket beside them, and a scenic landscape in the background.

You make plans for important dates like birthdays or your anniversary, which they always forget because those dates aren’t a priority for them. Similarly, you might decorate the house for holidays and make special celebratory meals, but they never reciprocate those actions for your benefit or enjoyment.

11. They don’t know the names of anyone close to you.

Two people standing outdoors near a body of water on a cloudy day. The person in the foreground, wearing a black coat and a black hat, looks off into the distance. The person in the background, also in a dark coat, faces away, adding a sense of solitude.

They’ve likely given your friends and colleagues descriptive nicknames (possibly derogatory ones) because they can’t be bothered to know them by name. As such, they’ll just tell you that “whiny girl” called when you were in the shower, or will ask if you’re meeting “big boy” for pub quiz night.

12. They don’t put much effort into your interactions.

A man and a woman are sitting on a red sofa in a well-lit living room. The man, wearing glasses and a white shirt, has his arm around the woman, who is wearing a yellow top. They appear to be engaged in a serious conversation. A coffee table and plants are visible.

You’re always the one who starts conversations or tries to engage them in couple-y things, but they’ll just offer minimal responses and otherwise avoid you. If what you’re saying doesn’t interest them, they might give you the silent treatment, or sigh and move to another room to get away from you.