10 Warning Signs You Are A Hopeless Romantic In A Culture Obsessed With Hookups

We often hear the term “hopeless romantic” and think of it as something sweet and sentimental. In many ways, it is, but when you dig deeper, you can see that a hopeless romantic often ends up unlucky in love.

Why? Because they tend to expect too much from love and relationships. They may attract the wrong people and dive in headfirst when they should stay balanced.

If you consider yourself a hopeless romantic, don’t worry. Your open heart and love for all things romantic aren't negative traits. They show that you’re a loving person, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Critics often view the hopeful nature of a hopeless romantic as a form of hopelessness, seeing their indulgence in romance and positivity as unrealistic. Yet, this doesn’t deter them from believing their dreams will come true.

It’s ironic how they’re so full of hope, yet labeled as hopeless, isn’t it? But a hopeless romantic won’t let that bring them down. They believe that deep down, everyone is a hopeless romantic at heart. So, what does it really mean to be a hopeless romantic?

Hopeless romantics are not just idealistic about romantic love; they also have an optimistic view of life in general. They see the world through rose-colored glasses, remaining innate and eternal optimists. No matter how grumpy or cynical they might get, they always return to their core belief – that the best is yet to come.

# You constantly find yourself dating the wrong person

Remember that person you met a few weeks ago? They seemed attractive at first, but turned out to be a total jerk. As a hopeless romantic, finding true love is your ultimate goal.

However, the silver lining is that dating the wrong people teaches you what works and what doesn’t.

# You have an overly optimistic view of love

Maybe you grew up watching Disney movies, a common mistake for hopeless romantics early in life. But hopeless romantics always hold onto some ideal dream to strive toward.

Many hopeless romantics want their love life to resemble Disney movies or cheesy romantic flicks. While it rarely works out that way, they still choose to see the positive in relationships over the negative.

# Love becomes too much of an ideal and less of a reality

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a hopeless romantic is that once you fall into a relationship, your ideals often crumble. You tend to romanticize the situation, blinding yourself to the harsher truths of the relationship.

Many people perceive you as a martyr and call you foolish. Hopeless romantics often find themselves trapped in relationships that are either abusive or clearly going nowhere because they stubbornly cling to their ideals.

# You might dread the thought of dating

The dating game is especially hard for hopeless romantics. The rules of dating have changed so much that it’s super confusing.

What happens when the person you date turns hot and then suddenly cold, or disappears after just one date?

These days, more people seek no-strings-attached relationships rather than serious commitments. This conflicts with the hopeless romantic’s ideals, which revolve around serious relationships and commitment.

# You feel you have so much love to give that it scares you

In new relationships, hopeless romantics are often the more affectionate ones.

They never run short of romantic gestures and sweet nothings, doing anything and giving everything for their love. They give so much of themselves that they risk losing themselves in the process.

# You go through periods of being alone

After yet another failed relationship, hopeless romantics often experience periods of loneliness before deciding to get back into the game. It’s a repeating cycle that many hopeless romantics find themselves in.

# You’re most often attracted to emotionally unavailable people

The attraction to emotionally unavailable people is dangerous for hopeless romantics. It often leaves them frustrated and scarred for life.

They may find themselves fighting a losing battle trying to win the affection of an emotionally unavailable person, often to no avail.

# You often develop feelings for almost anyone, given your ideal love

Hopeless romantics are in love with the concept of love and often fall head over heels for anyone they get close to or share a bond with. These feelings are often quiet and unrequited, and they fall in love fast and hard.

# People think you’re picky

In the dating pool, many people think hopeless romantics are picky. This is because their ideals and standards often seem too lofty and out of touch with reality.

Hopeless romantics often struggle to choose dates because they already have an idea in their head that is difficult to match in reality.

# You refuse to give up on love

The driving force behind hopeless romantics is the ideal of finding genuine and lasting love.

Even if a cherished relationship fails and scars them, they do not give up on love. They believe in the idea of perfect romantic love and consider it far too precious to abandon.