For many of us, the maybe zone is a place we know all too well. You like someone, you’ve got great chemistry, you enjoy spending time together, the attraction is there, and it’s pretty much the recipe for the perfect relationship. Everything seems perfect…except for one issue: things never progress. You end up stuck in the realm between friendship and relationship, otherwise known as the maybe zone. For those of you who have been somehow able to avoid falling into the treacherous pit that is the maybe zone, or simply didn’t know there was a name for what they were experiencing, keep reading to find out more.
Unlike the friend zone, it’s a little harder to tell when you’re stuck in the maybe zone, since everything seems to be going well. Since you’re having a great time doing everything you’ve always done with that person, it’s hard to tell you’re stuck in a rut. To me, this is the biggest danger of the maybe zone. How can you expect to get out of something if you don’t know you’re in it in the first place?
Here are some sure-fire indicators that you’ve slipped into the maybe zone:
1. There is little, if any, talk about where you stand within the relationship.
2. When you do talk about any future between you two, they work their way around giving you a straight answer.
3. They’re hesitant about introducing you to their loved ones.
4. They treat you differently in public or with friends.
5. If you start to become distant, they’ll try to reel you back in to keep you on their hook.
6. There is no commitment or progression in the relationship.
If you’re experiencing any of these within your relationship, there’s a good chance that you’re an option rather than a priority.
So why string someone along if you’re not interested in anything serious? There are a lot of different answers to that question. People will put you in the maybe zone if they have enough interest and attraction to continue seeing you, but don’t consider you an ideal romantic partner. They want to keep their options open, but they don’t want to lose you as an option. Other times, the person may have genuine feelings for you, but they may not be in a place to be in a serious/committed relationship for a variety of reasons.
No matter the reason, if you’re pushed into the maybe zone when you most certainly do NOT want to be there, there is always a way out: walk away. Sure, once in a blue moon someone who has been stringing you along will come to their senses and you’ll live happily ever after, but for the majority of cases that is not the outcome. Walking away from someone you have feelings for is not an easy task, but if you’re in a place where you want different things, it is necessary. Tell them what’s up, why you want to discontinue seeing them, and let that be the end of it. Don’t sacrifice your wants and needs to appease someone else’s by staying in an unbalanced relationship.