Breaking up is a challenging experience that often leads people to seek solace and companionship in new relationships. It is natural to move on to a new relationship after a breakup.
However, some ex-partners may rush into a new relationship in an effort to replace their exes, only to discover they have failed to replace them.
We have all been there; one minute, you are sharing pancakes for breakfast with your significant other, and the next, you can’t stand each other, and they move on to someone else.
Sometimes your ex may move on too quickly in an attempt to replace you, and their rebound relationship fails.
Think about it, everyone has an ex lurking in the shadowing, and you wonder if they have moved on or tried to replace you and failed.
In this article, we will look at the signs your ex tried to replace you and failed.
Signs Your Ex Tried To Replace You And Failed
Sometimes your ex may do their best to try and replace you, but everyone is unique, and they may not be able to replace you.
Some of the signs your ex tried to replace you but failed. include the following;
1. They keep reaching out to you
If your ex tried to replace you but failed, he will keep contacting you. When your ex-partner is having difficulty moving on, they will try to reach out to you through texts, calls and may even show up without notice.
If your ex tried to replace you and failed, they will keep contacting you because they missed what you had. They want to relive the good moments or may even want to get back together with you.
So, if your ex keeps texting you drunk at 2 am, they may have tried to replace you and failed. They are trying to reach out to you in the disguise of drunken texts and calls.
Moreover, an ex-boyfriend who tried to replace you and failed will reach out, trying to get back their stuff from you or asking you to get your stuff from them so they can talk to you.
2. They Rapidly Move On To A New Relationship
Breakups are complicated, and many people handle them differently. If your ex quickly moves on into a new relationship, they will try to replace you and fail.
When you break up with your partner, it is important to give yourself time to heal from the relationship before moving on to the next relationship.
According to relationship expert Dr. Amanda Miller, a licensed psychologist, if your ex immediately jumps into a new relationship right after the breakup, they are trying to fill the void you left in their life.
Miller says, “Moving on too quickly without allowing for proper healing and self-reflection is often an indicator of an unsuccessful attempt at replacement.”
3. Your Ex Rebound Relationship Ends Quickly
If your ex tried to replace you and failed, their rebound relationship will end the same way, as fast as it started.
Many people look for rebound relationships when they go through a breakup. However, rebounds are often a way to distract yourself from the hurt you are going through.
So, if your ex’s rebound relationship ends quickly, he tried to replace you but failed. Rebounds rarely lead to a long-term relationship, but if your ex’s rebound relationship only lasts a few weeks, it is a sign he tried to replace you and failed.
4. Their Social Media Behavior Changed
If your ex tried to replace you and failed, their social media behaviours will change. For instance, if they have never used social media, they will use it often.
They may start posting their new partner to show how good their relationship is. He may be trying to prove that his relationship is working while, in reality, it is not.
On the other hand, he may start using social media to stalk you and your new relationship to see if you are happier with a new person than you were with them.
So, if your ex’s social media behaviour changes, it is a sign they tried to replace you but failed.
5. They Show Signs of Displacement
Displacement is one of the main signs your ex failed to replace you. Many people move on fast when they break up with their partners.
However, if your ex moves on too and tries to move the relationship faster, he wants the new relationship to move faster to reach the point the previous relationship was at.
For instance, if you break up with your partner and they move on to the next relationship and within a few weeks they want their partners to move in with them, they are displacing.
When this happens, you may ask yourself many questions, wonder if you were not good enough, or if they love their new partner more than they loved you, but they have tried to replace you and failed.
According to Clay Andrews of Modern Love, if your ex moves too quickly and escalates their new relationship, it is not because the relationship is much stronger than yours was; it is simply displacement.
They are trying to get the new relationship to the same level of commitment as the previous relationship.
6. They Try To Make You Jealous
If your ex tried to replace you but failed, they will try to make you jealous. They want to make you regret breaking up with them.
So, they will flaunt their new relationships to make you jealous, while in reality, they failed to replace you.
Some common signs your ex is trying to make you jealous include;
- They show off their partners on social media.
- You start seeing them together in places you frequent.
- Your ex talks about how happy they are.
- They have excessive public displays of affection.
- Asking you for advice about their rebound person
If your ex is doing some of the above things, they are trying to make you jealous of their latest relationship because they tried to replace you but failed.
7. Your Ex Becomes Overly Interested In Your Life
If your ex tried to replace you and failed, they will be overly interested in your life.
If your ex suddenly becomes interested in what is going on in your life and asks questions about how you are doing and whom you are dating, they are trying to keep tabs on you because they tried to replace you and failed.
They want to know what is going on in your life to see if they can have a chance to get back into your life.
Moreover, if they broke up with you and want you back, they want to know what they are up against.
8. They Compare Their New Partner With You
If your ex continuously compares their new partner with you, it is a clear sign they tried to replace you but failed.
According to Lisa Simmons Slater, a marriage and family therapist, comparisons to their previous partner indicates that your ex hasn’t fully moved on.
The comparison indicates they are still holding onto memories and feelings from your relationship, which prevents them from forming a genuine connection with their new partner.
9. They Depend On You For Emotional Support
If your ex maintains frequent contact with you and seeks emotional support from you despite being in a new relationship, they try to replace you and failed.
If your ex relies on you for emotional support, it means their new relationship is not fulfilling their emotional needs, and they are using you as a backup for emotional support.
For instance, if your ex calls you when they are in a fix and needs to talk, they can’t get the same emotional intimacy they had with you with their new partners and are using you as a safety net.
10. Your Ex Has Repeating Patterns
If your ex tried to replace you but failed, they will fall into familiar toxic patterns. You will bleed on people who didn’t cut you if you don’t heal.
So, suppose your ex repeats the same mistakes or falls into similar relationship patterns that were problematic in the previous relationship. In that case, they are struggling to find a suitable replacement for you.
So, if your ex doesn’t take the time to heal before they get into a new relationship, they will often repeat the same toxic patterns in the new relationship, which shows they have not learned from the previous relationship.
11. Your Ex Has Superficial Connections
Another sign your ex tried to replace you and failed is having superficial connections. If your ex jumps from one casual relationship to the next, they have tried to replace you and failed.
If your ex is not over you and has failed to replace you, they will struggle to establish deep emotional connections with someone else.
They will also have difficulty emotionally connecting with another partner and have many superficial relationships because they can’t find someone to replace you.
12. Your Ex Family And Friends Still Contact You
If your ex tried to replace you and failed their family, your ex’s friends will still be in contact with you because your ex wants to keep tabs on you through them.
On the other hand, their family and friends will be in contact with you because they do not like your ex’s new companion and hope you will still be together or hope you will get back together at some point.
Final Thoughts
Moving on from a past relationship can be challenging, and some individuals may attempt to replace their ex-partners hastily.
Trying to replace an ex is unhealthy and is especially unfair to the new partner because everyone is unique.
Seeing any of these signs from your ex means they tried to replace you and failed.
The signs your ex tried to replace you and failed include; showing signs of displacement, trying to keep in contact with you, rapidly moving on to a new relationship, and your ex’s rebound relationship ends quickly.
Moreover, if your ex tried to replace you and failed, they will try to make you jealous, change their social media behaviours, become overly interested in your life, and compare their new partners to you.
Additionally, if your ex tried to replace you and failed, they will depend on you for emotional support, have superficial connections, and repeat patterns with their new partner. Moreover, their ex’s friends and family will still contact you.
Photo by Katie Salerno on www.pexels.com