You know an avoidant wants you through consistent, albeit subtle, actions rather than grand verbal declarations, like making time for you (even if infrequent), initiating contact (especially with thoughtful gestures or checking in), showing up for important events, making you a priority by being present, and slowly introducing you to their private world (friends/space). They'll show up, provide practical support (acts of service), ask meaningful questions, and may even display subtle jealousy or possessiveness, indicating they value you but fear deep intimacy.
Here are 12 signs that an avoidant is ready to commit or at least thinking of committing.
High Emotional Demands
People with fearful-avoidant attachment styles say that high emotional demands from their partner can trigger their attachment avoidance. This can quickly turn into a downward spiral, as the more they withdraw, the more emotional attention their partner might need from them.
For avoidant individuals, the thought of being emotionally dependent on someone else and losing their independence can be terrifying. They may feel trapped, overwhelmed, or suffocated. This trigger can cause them to push their partner away, leading to distance and emotional disconnection in the relationship.
Avoidant people are highly independent. They don't need anyone else to be successful in life (at least, they think). So when a person enters their life who requires constant reassurance, this most likely annoys the avoidant at some point.
Letting Them Lead
Letting them set the pace also melts them. Many avoidants feel rushed in emotional moments. But when you allow them to go slow, they feel safe. Here is the paradox: the more control they feel, the less they use control to protect themselves.
But it does provide some rough guidelines as to how soon may be too soon to make long-term commitments and how long may be too long to stick with a relationship. Each of the three numbers—three, six, and nine—stands for the month that a different common stage of a relationship tends to end.
Many avoidant partners say that they show their love with practical help – think picking you up at the airport, bringing you food when you're sick, or helping you study.
Players often come on very strong from the beginning (lovebombing, showing extreme interest, holding deep eye contact, etc.) to win you over quickly, get their way, and leave. An avoidant person struggles to make emotional connections early on, so they'll be more reserved and take things slow, especially at first.
15 ways to make an avoidant individual chase you
Avoidant individuals want a partner who does not threaten their need for autonomy. They tend to be attracted to traits that align with their core values of independence and self-reliance.
Avoidants often feel jealousy just as intensely as anyone else, but their nervous system treats it like a five-alarm fire that must be contained immediately. Instead of moving toward their partner to seek reassurance or express their feelings, they move away.
Avoidant vs. Anxious: The avoidant-anxious relationship is a clear sign of different innate approaches to love and relationships. Avoidant individuals often express love in ways that allow them to maintain emotional distance -- such as acts of service. Anxious people need words of affirmation or physical touch.
Relationships ebb and flow. Plus, if you and your S.O. survived the dreaded two-year mark (i.e. the most common time period when couples break up), then you're destined to be together forever…
However in Strauss' book, the three second rule is a very different concept. It refers to the idea that when guys see a woman they fancy, they have three seconds to approach her, make eye contact, or strike up a conversation before she loses interest - or he bottles it.
So, do avoidants secretly want you to chase them? The short answer: not exactly. The long answer: it's complicated and depends on whether the “chasing” is about proving your loyalty, regulating their fear, or helping them feel safe withoutoverwhelming them.
It can be helpful to draw an avoidant person out and connect with them to get interested in what they're into, and try to understand their perspective and what they like about it. Then honor their pace when it comes to vulnerability and talking about emotional topics.
Almost everybody knows that avoidants are terrified of intimacy, vulnerability, closeness, and commitment. Heck, avoidants themselves will tell you, probably straight away, that they're scared of these things. And even if they don't, you will start noticing it after a while.
It's not that they don't want loving relationships – it's just that it's difficult for them to give themselves over to love. To protect themselves from feelings of rejection, an avoidant attacher will create strict physical and emotional boundaries.
In truth, the disorganized attachment style is considered to be the most difficult form of insecure attachment to manage – disorganized adults strongly desire love and acceptance but simultaneously fear that those closest to them will hurt them.