A deal breaker is something that you are not willing to tolerate from a partner. It is a specific trait or issue that prevents the relationship from going any further. While relationships are never perfect and always require a certain degree of compromise, deal breakers represent specific issues that, for whatever reason, are simply non-negotiable.

An important fact to note about deal breakers is that they are not universal. What may be a deal breaker for you might only be a nuisance to somebody else and vice versa. While some deal breakers might be more obvious than others, only you can ultimately decide what you are and are not willing to put up with in any given relationship. In certain instances, you might even find that some of your deal breakers change or that you are inclined to apply them differently depending on the particular relationship. It is not uncommon for you to be more willing to tolerate certain things from some people than you are from others. Since your deal breakers belong to you alone, exactly where you draw that line in the sand is entirely up to you. The key to setting effective personal boundaries is to make sure that they protect you from physical and emotional harm.

Deal breakers are an important part of the dating game because they serve as a helpful guide in mate selection. By taking the time to think it over and determine what your deal breakers are before you get involved with somebody, you can help to avoid investing precious time and energy into partners who aren’t likely to be compatible with you in the long run. Knowing exactly what you want and don’t want in a partner is a vital part of building healthy and lasting romantic relationships so if you haven’t given much thought to what your own deal breakers might be, then now is a good time to get started.

Because human beings are naturally flawed, expecting a romantic partner to be perfect is not only unrealistic but is also likely to lead to unnecessary disappointments. As you develop your list of deal breakers, keep in mind that it is not about setting unrealistic expectations for your partner but it is about setting personal boundaries that are meant to keep you sane and safe. Being able to identify what you don’t want and won’t tolerate from a partner is just as important as knowing what you do want. Check out the most common dating deal breakers below and see how they compare to yours.

Top 5 Dating Deal Breakers:

• Abuse of any kind (physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, etc)
  
  
• Infidelity
  
  
• Addictions (alcohol, nicotine, drugs, gambling, etc)
  
  
• Poor hygiene or appearance
  
  
• Excess emotional baggage