<a href="https://aura.ng/life-and-love/what-kind-of-romance-do-you-crave-according-to-your-zodiac-sign">Romance</a>&nbsp;in movies and even real life often comes with a side of “tropes” that are supposed to feel swoon-worthy. But honestly? Many of them just make us roll our eyes. They’re mostly unrealistic gestures and emotionally exhausting patterns. It’s time to call out the love habits we’re done pretending are cute.

1. Social media pressure: Publicly posting “<a href="https://aura.ng/life-and-love/which-music-genre-matches-your-love-life-">I love you</a>” or excessively tagging your partner to prove attachment.

2. Obsessive tracking: Constantly asking “Where are you?” or “Who are you with?” under the guise of concern.

3. Uninvited visits: Showing up at work, school, or home without consent and calling it a surprise.

4. Compensating with gifts: Making up for emotional absence or detachment with expensive gifts that strain your finances.

5. Emotional dumping: Using your partner as a punching bag for unresolved trauma, stress, or anger.

6. Pressure on special days: Coercing affection or intimacy on Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or birthdays with “If you loved me, you’d…”.

7. Jealousy and control over friends: Dictating who your partner can spend time with due to insecurity, even when there’s nothing wrong with their friendships.

8. Showy PDA for attention: Over-the-top public displays of affection driven by social media clout or validation rather than genuine connection.

9. Testing loyalty: Sending fake messages or creating confusion to provoke reactions or seek attention.

10. Romanticising instability: Enduring neglect, stress, excessive drama, <a href="https://aura.ng/life-and-love/5-truths-afcon-reveals-about-nigerian-men-that-dating-won-t">hot-and-cold texting</a>, or unexplained ghosting and treating it as part of the plot twists.

11. Guilt manipulation: Using past favours, sacrifices, or gestures to demand affection or attention.

12. Over-apologising: Constantly apologising for minor issues to appear humble instead of making changes or staying accountable.

13. Playing hard to get: Intentionally ignoring messages for hours or days and labelling it game-playing.

14. Feigning interest: Pretending to enjoy hobbies or interests you genuinely dislike just to please your partner.

15. Ignoring consent: Disregarding boundaries and reframing it as spontaneity.

16. Replacing conversation with touch: Substituting emotional communication with excessive physical contact.

17. Trying to change your partner: Staying with someone who is clearly <a href="https://aura.ng/life-and-love/you-re-not-just-friends-and-you-know-it-a-reality-check-for-confusing-connections">bad for you</a> while hoping to rehabilitate or fix them over time.

18. Obsessive messaging: Devoting all your time and attention exclusively to your partner while neglecting friends, family, and personal life.

19. Mind-reading expectations: Expecting your partner to understand unspoken needs instead of communicating clearly.

20. Silent treatment: Using withdrawal or the cold shoulder as punishment during conflict.

21. Instant love fantasies: Treating immediate emotional attachment as a complete foundation for a relationship.

With <a href="https://aura.ng/life-and-love/what-people-secretly-do-before-valentine-s-day">Valentine’s Day </a>lurking around the corner, fix up for your partner. That’s the best gift you can give them.

A breakdown of unhealthy habits we allow in relationships under the guise of romance; they’re not cute, and we need to ditch them all in 2026.



Sex & Relationships

 Toxic Romance Habits We Need to Stop Calling “Cute”



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