When it comes to relationships, decent women don’t ask for perfection — but they do expect respect.
They know the difference between a healthy partnership and one that’s full of red flags, and they’re not afraid to walk away when the line is crossed.
While love might require patience and compromise, there are some behaviors that are just non-negotiable.
Decent women have learned (sometimes the hard way) that tolerating low-quality behavior only leads to frustration, self-doubt, and wasted time.
They’re done with excusing poor treatment, and they refuse to settle for anything less than mutual effort and respect.
It’s not about being “demanding” — it’s about having standards.
So, what behaviors will a decent woman never put up with in a relationship?
Here are 7 of the most common dealbreakers that signal it’s time to set boundaries or walk away — because no woman with self-respect should have to accept these kinds of actions from anyone.
1) Lack of respect
In every corner of life, respect is a fundamental requirement.
This is particularly true in relationships. And ladies, let me tell you, lack of respect is a low-quality behavior that no decent woman should tolerate.
Often, you’ll find yourself in situations where your partner’s actions or words may belittle you or make you feel less than. This is a clear sign of disrespect.
As the founder of Love Connection blog and a relationship expert, I’ve witnessed countless relationships crumble due to this behavior. It’s heart-wrenching to see, especially because it’s completely avoidable.
When it comes to relationships, respect should be a given, not an option. It’s the foundation on which trust and love are built.
So if you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re not being treated with the respect you deserve, remember this:
You are worth more. It’s time to rethink whether you want to be in a relationship where your worth is not recognised.
2) Dishonesty
Honesty is the foundation of every healthy relationship. Without it, trust crumbles — and once trust is gone, it’s nearly impossible to get it back.
Decent women understand this, which is why dishonesty is a hard no in any relationship. Whether it’s big lies, white lies, or lies by omission, they see dishonesty for what it is: a breach of trust.
At first, it might seem small — a partner “forgetting” to mention something important or twisting the truth to avoid conflict. But over time, these lies add up. Each one leaves a crack in the foundation of the relationship until the whole thing feels shaky.
Decent women know that honesty isn’t just about truth-telling — it’s about respect.
If someone can’t be honest with you, it’s a sign they don’t respect you enough to be transparent. And that’s not something any self-respecting woman will tolerate.
A decent woman would rather face a hard truth than live with a beautiful lie. Honesty creates emotional safety, while dishonesty breeds confusion, doubt, and mistrust.
If someone can’t offer honesty from the start, they’re not worth the emotional cost it takes to figure out what’s real and what’s not.
3) Codependency
Codependency can be one of the hardest low-quality behaviors to spot — and one of the most emotionally draining to experience.
It often hides under the guise of “love” or “support,” but over time, it creates a toxic dynamic where one person’s entire sense of self is tied to the other.
Decent women recognize this imbalance for what it is: unhealthy attachment disguised as care.
Unlike healthy interdependence, where both partners support each other equally, codependency places all the emotional weight on one person.
This could look like one partner constantly seeking validation, needing to be “rescued,” or being unable to function without the other’s reassurance.
Over time, it leaves the other partner feeling suffocated, emotionally exhausted, and responsible for someone else’s happiness. Decent women know this isn’t love — it’s emotional dependency.
In my book, Breaking The Attachment: How To Overcome Codependency in Your Relationship, I delve into this issue in depth. I explain how you can identify the signs of codependency and most importantly, how to overcome it.
True love allows for growth, independence, and emotional stability on both sides. If one person is carrying the weight of the relationship alone, it’s not love — it’s codependency. Decent women know they deserve a partner, not a project.
4) Excessive admiration
Now, this might sound odd, but bear with me.
Excessive admiration or adoration in a relationship is not as rosy as it sounds. It’s a low-quality behavior that can lead to unrealistic expectations and unbalanced dynamics.
Sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? After all, who doesn’t like being admired?
But here’s the catch. When admiration becomes excessive, it can create an unhealthy pedestal effect. You’re placed on an unrealistically high pedestal, and the fall from there can be painful.
As a relationship expert, I’ve seen this pattern unfold time and again. It starts with excessive admiration and ends with disappointment when the admired person doesn’t live up to the unrealistic expectations.
Real love isn’t about perfection; it’s about seeing the other person fully — flaws and all — and still choosing them.
Decent women won’t tolerate being put on a pedestal, because they know it’s not a place where real love can grow.
5) Lack of communication
I’ve always believed that communication is the lifeblood of any relationship.
However, it’s surprising how many couples struggle with this. Lack of communication is a low-quality behavior that can lead to misunderstanding, resentment, and ultimately, heartbreak.
In my personal life, I’ve experienced how lack of communication can turn small issues into big problems. It’s like a small crack in a dam that eventually leads to its collapse if not addressed in time.
Ladies, remember, it’s essential to express your feelings, wants, and needs clearly. And it’s equally important for your partner to do the same.
If you find yourself in a relationship where communication is lacking, let that be a red flag. You deserve someone who listens as much as they speak and understands as much as they are understood.
6) Jealousy and control
Does your partner constantly question where you are, who you’re with, or what you’re doing?
While some people mistake this as a sign of love or “caring too much,” it’s actually a red flag for jealousy and control.
Decent women know that love rooted in suspicion and dominance isn’t love at all — it’s insecurity in disguise.
Jealousy might start small — a few questions here, a snide comment there — but it rarely stays that way.
Over time, it morphs into control. They’ll want to know your every move, check your phone, or isolate you from friends “for your own good.”
It’s not about love — it’s about power. Controlling partners feel threatened by independence, so they try to shrink your world to something they can manage.
Decent women recognize that a healthy relationship is built on trust, not tracking devices. Love allows freedom, while control thrives on fear. If someone needs to control you to feel secure, that’s their issue to resolve — not yours.
7) Emotional manipulation
Speaking of control, have you ever felt like you were being controlled without even realizing it?
That’s the insidious power of emotional manipulation.
Unlike obvious forms of control, manipulation is subtle, sneaky, and often hard to detect until you’re already caught in its web.
Emotional manipulators know how to twist words, guilt-trip, and gaslight to get their way. They’ll play the victim, make you feel responsible for their emotions, or shift blame onto you when you call out their behavior.
At first, it might seem like you’re being “too sensitive” or “misunderstanding” them, but over time, you realize it’s a pattern — and it’s one designed to keep you doubting yourself.
For decent women, real love doesn’t require mind games or control tactics — and that’s exactly why they refuse to tolerate it. They know that if someone has to resort to guilt, blame, or control to get their way, it’s not love — it’s manipulation.
And once they see it for what it is, they won’t hesitate to walk away.
8) Neglect
The final point I want to talk about is neglect. It’s a silent killer in relationships, often overlooked until it’s too late.
Neglect can take various forms – from not spending quality time together to ignoring emotional needs. It’s a low-quality behavior that slowly erodes the bond between partners.
In my own life, I’ve seen how neglect can turn a once vibrant relationship into a shell of its former self. It’s painful and heartbreaking to witness.
Remember the wise words of Maya Angelou, “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”
Ladies, if you ever feel neglected in your relationship, remember your worth. You deserve someone who appreciates you and makes you feel loved and valued every single day.
Final thoughts
As you can see, decent women don’t stay in relationships where they’re undervalued, disrespected, or mistreated — and that’s not “being difficult.” It’s called self-respect.
While love requires patience, it should never come at the cost of your dignity or well-being.
The behaviors we’ve highlighted aren’t just minor flaws — they’re signs of deeper issues that can erode trust, happiness, and emotional health over time.
The good news? You don’t have to tolerate them.
Decent women know that walking away from low-quality behavior isn’t a loss — it’s a win. By refusing to accept these toxic patterns, they make space for relationships where love, effort, and respect go both ways.
For those who are struggling with codependency or other relationship challenges, I highly recommend my book, Breaking The Attachment: How To Overcome Codependency in Your Relationship. It could provide the guidance you need to reclaim your relationship and your life.
If there’s one thing to take away, it’s this: It’s better to be alone with your self-respect intact than to stay with someone who makes you question it.
