Why do men pull away?

Then one day, you flirt back. There is some staring, smiling, eye contact, a little bit of communication, and then all of a sudden you are attracted to him.

You move one step closer, but then he moves one step back. You feel ignored and not wanted. Therefore, you decide to believe that it was all a fantasy. You let it go, but still asking why?

At that moment, you hate how he pulled away, making you think he is just a coward man. Therefore, you start thinking why did he pull away?

1- Overthinking

He acts too confident and hides all his insecurities. Making himself believe that he can’t be easily hurt. Acts like he is in control, but fears once faced with an independent lady. Always used to play around and then when things would not go his way, the fear of getting too serious becomes true.

That is the moment when he starts to pull away. He is still amazed by your smile, your eyes, and your cleverness. But is afraid of not being as good as you, or afraid of "the impossibility" to fulfill you.

2- Fear of abandonment

He loved someone so hard that the disappointment hit him badly. It took time to heal the pain. Being emotionally vulnerable makes him feel like less of a man. Therefore, he would pull away, rather than get rejected to defend his ego and feelings.

3- Presence of potential options

There are so many people in the world. Because of that, you are afraid to commit to one. What if there is better? These questions will “kill” you. Then, you let it go of her without knowing what it would feel like. You were afraid to hurt her. You were afraid to commit. But then you ask what if?

There is a mix of feelings and your actions toward her will be confusing, but not intentionally.

4- He is not ready

He likes to talk to you, hang out with you, and be around you, but still thinks that relationships take too much effort and dedication.

He is not ready for that. He is not ready to give up his freedom.

5- He feels less worthy.

She is too good for me. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her personality… she is just too good, but I ?! What do I have to give to her?

She might be looking for some other dude who has more to offer than I do.

6- Too hard to get

You were too hard to get. He didn’t like to wait, therefore he just moved away.

7- Red Flags

He may realize that your personality is not likable to him, even though he likes your appearance. There is something at you that makes him feel insecure.

8- You make him feel unessential

You might be worried about being too open about your feelings to him because he might take you for granted. Therefore, instead of showing your true self to him and how you really feel, you are putting a barrier to emotional and physical communication between you two. That might mean ignoring his calls, answering late to his messages, or not/rarely accepting his invitations.

You have now convinced him that you are not interested in him and that all of his efforts are worthless. And of course, for a man, what separates "like" from "love" is how essential he is for a woman.

The above are some reasons why men might pull away. No matter what, it is inevitable. Simply, it wasn’t meant to be. It can be the wrong time, wrong place, or wrong person. The right one will find his way to you and make you feel loved with no reassurance needed.