At first, you were taken in by his charm and impressed by his self-confidence. Those first dates often felt like a dream come true when he took charge and entertained you with his boisterous personality. Unfortunately, you are now having that heart-sinking feeling that what you once thought was strength is actually an over-inflated ego. Sadly, dating a man with a big ego leaves you open for difficulties that you may not want to deal with in a relationship. When you’re wondering if you should stay or go, use these tips to figure out if your suspicions are true.
Know The Difference Between Ego Types
People often get confused when they talk about egos. This is because there is a huge difference between having a big ego and having one that is simply strong. A man with a strong ego still epitomizes what you want in a partner. He will be confident, self-assured and able to deal with stressful situations. A man with a big ego, however, is the type you want to be wary of because he will be operating with a false sense of self that makes him unstable. While he may not do it on purpose, a big ego means that your partner is more likely to react with anger or frustration even if it means taking it out on you to validate his sense of importance.
Check to See If He Views The World As a Competition
When a man has a big ego, he must constantly feed his self-worth to keep himself built up. This means that he will put people down to make himself feel better. He may also define himself through material items or brag about his accomplishments. This is the type of man who will also take credit for someone else’s work, or he may avoid giving acknowledgement to other people’s help. Seeing these types of traits is a big red flag that he will never let you win an argument, and his opinion will always come first.
Stay Away From the Pity Party
As much as big egos like being puffed up, they also like playing the victim to elicit sympathy. These men will try to get you on their side by exaggerating how the other party in a conflict is the bad guy. In an effort to get attention, they may exaggerate an injury or give a long-winded story about some plight that they feel was undeserved. If you fail to give them the sympathy or attention that they crave, then they will turn on you. This is why you always want to avoid the whiny types who constantly have some issue to cry about.
Avoid Game Players
Men with big egos sometimes view their relationships with women as an opportunity to show off. They may pick the typical trophy partner that they can show off to others in an effort to feel superior. They are also prone to cheating since having multiple partners insulates them from having to worry about dealing with a loss of ego during a breakup.
If you find yourself dating a man with a big ego, take heart. It is often hard to tell in the beginning whether or not a man is just self-confident or full of himself. Now that you know the difference, get back out there and date with the full awareness that a confident many always takes his partner’s feelings into consideration.