Relationship Red Flags
Before you read
What is your experience of good and bad relationships (boy/girlfriend)?
What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a good relationship?
I read an interesting article today that I think everyone should read before they get married. Essentially, the article was about listening to your inner voice before you get married to someone. It said that we should watch for those ‘red flags’ in relationships that tell us something is wrong. For example, if he or she is controlling or gets very moody or angry quickly over small things then these could be red flags that could cause trouble in a relationship later. The reading also said that we must be careful to not think, “oh, I don’t like that about him, but I can change that later, “ because after you get married it does not get better, rather it gets worse. For example, the writer talked about someone who married someone who was a spender. The husband thought he could change this, but after they got married, she spent more money including on gambling and after two years they divorced. The husband said, that he had wished he had noticed those relationship red flags and listened to his feelings rather than get married because of family pressure, or because he felt things would get better and not to break up. He said, it doesn’t matter how long you have dated, if that person is wrong then you must get out of the relationship before it is too late otherwise you will be miserable.
Guessing meaning from context
Match the words/phrases in the left column with the closest meaning in the right column. The answers are below the table.
|
inner voice |
A |
1 |
Wanting to tell you what to do and how to behave |
|
red flag |
B |
2 |
Someone who changes a lot. Grumpy. Changeable personality usually to being unhappy a lot but tends to not want to talk to people. |
|
controlling |
C |
3 |
Those feelings that you get about someone or something |
|
moody |
D |
4 |
Stop something, usually a relationship or a company |
|
spender |
E |
5 |
Very unhappy |
|
break up |
F |
6 |
Signals or signs that something is wrong. A notice given to stop someone or something |
|
miserable |
G |
7 |
Someone who likes to buy a lot of things |
A=3, B=6, C=1, D=2, E=7, F=4, G=5
Some questions using the new words and phrases to help you understand them better. Try to answer using the new words/phrases
1. Tell me about times when you could feel or hear your inner voice.
2. In your work or personal life, when have you seen red flags about someone or something that caused you to not want to do something? That is , made you feel suspicious?
3. Describe someone that is controlling?
4. If your good friend gets moody, then how could you help him or her?
5. Do you know someone who is a spender? How could you help them to change?
6. What do you think is the best way to feel better after a relationship break up?
7. What kinds of things make you feel miserable? Why?
Some example sentences using today’s new words/phrases
1. I wish I had listened to my inner voice and not bought that computer. The price was cheap, but the quality was very bad.
2. A red flag in business is something like where a company has too much debt.
3. I dated a woman who was very controlling, she would tell me what clothes to wear everyday and how I should talk to other people.
4. I heard that the weather in Seattle is moody, it changes quickly from sunny to rainy and then sunny again.
5. One of the problems of having a credit card is it can turn someone into a spender. For example, if they see something they like then it is very easy to buy it.
6. I was miserable for 6 months after I broke up with my previous girlfriend.
ECK Education
