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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Updated profile pic has got on my nerves

152 replies

Sandra15 · 30/07/2021 09:21

Last summer I was chatting (initially in a work context) with a guy who then began telling me he had feelings for me and couldn't stop thinking about me, arranged to meet and he stood me up and ghosted me. After reading through the messages he had sent, they were filthy and showed what he was really like.

He posted a photograph just around the time of the ghosting on Facebook, showing him looking rather tubby and I concluded he was a pillock and I had had a lucky escape.

Today he has posted a new profile picture on Facebook (I haven't blocked him but have never engaged with him since the ghosting. I did call him out, but that was in December and he read the message in May!) I don't want anything to do with him.

The profile picture today that has been the first change in over a year shows that he has been to the most exclusive, tough and exacting boot camp in history. Bear Grylls couldn't hack this. He's lost stones, grown more hair and miraculously it is darker, too, set off by a very deep tan.

It has really pissed me off though! I don't know why. I don't want him, he is a fool. Why it has got to me I do not know!

OP posts:
MotionActivatedDog · 30/07/2021 19:45

It appears Op has actually posted quite a lot about this man on threads over the past few months so it’s clear she is having a lot of trouble processing this very brief interaction for some reason.

Bluntness100 · 30/07/2021 19:48

Gosh this took a turn didn’t it.

chunderwunder · 30/07/2021 19:50

Why are you even looking at his social media?

Sandra15 · 30/07/2021 19:53

@Prettybubblesintheair

I think you sound like an utterly vile person and if anyone had a lucky escape it’s him.
This, this is totally uncalled for and nasty.
OP posts:
toocold54 · 30/07/2021 19:54

It appears Op has actually posted quite a lot about this man on threads over the past few months so it’s clear she is having a lot of trouble processing this very brief interaction for some reason.

If this is the case and OP and you just can’t get over him even though you’ve not spoken in months. Why not reach out to him one more time. Just a breezy message to say ‘long time no speak, how are you?’ type thing. You’ll probably find that after speaking to him for a bit you are not as attracted to him as you thought or if he doesn’t reply then delete him and move on.

Persephonesgrove · 30/07/2021 19:55

The problem is that you aren't being honest. With us, which is your choice but makes your story not make sense. Hence you coming across, in a way that's probably not reflective of who you are.

But also with yourself. You are wondering why it's annoyed you. But you won't ever work that out if you aren't honest with yourself about the level of interest you still have in this man.

A man, who you find pretty repulsive. Either you don't find him repulsive or you are really struggling with the rejection.

And your default is to get defensive. Then out and out angry.

If you had posted honestly, I think you would have had more sympathetic responses.

Sandra15 · 30/07/2021 19:57

@Persephonesgrove

The problem is that you aren't being honest. With us, which is your choice but makes your story not make sense. Hence you coming across, in a way that's probably not reflective of who you are.

But also with yourself. You are wondering why it's annoyed you. But you won't ever work that out if you aren't honest with yourself about the level of interest you still have in this man.

A man, who you find pretty repulsive. Either you don't find him repulsive or you are really struggling with the rejection.

And your default is to get defensive. Then out and out angry.

If you had posted honestly, I think you would have had more sympathetic responses.

What do you think I am lying about, Persephone? If you ask me, I will answer you. If you want to, that is.
OP posts:
clickychicky · 30/07/2021 19:58

Oh, and I've been told to get on Tinder, too. No, thank you. there's nothing wrong with Tinder.

daphnedoo12 · 30/07/2021 20:01

Just block him, even if he improved his looks he's still not worth your time. The more you keep looking the shittier you'll feel when you really don't need to see his profile

clickychicky · 30/07/2021 20:03

Have you dated anyone since him last summer? If not you might find once you do his profile picture of him looking hot bothers you less.

TheFoundations · 30/07/2021 20:04

Persephone is saying that you're not admitting how much you wanted him to be into you/were or are interested in him.

If you really didn't care, you wouldn't be posting.

Starfleck · 30/07/2021 20:08

He was looking for sex, you didn't indulge which is absolutely the right thing to do if you aren't comfortable with it, and then mugged you off. if it makes you feel any better I don't think he did it because of who you are or anything, you could have been anyone and he wasn't getting what he wanted out of chatting which is why he ghosted you.

I do think it's a bit weird to feel annoyed by this, but in the past I have had to get over someone I never actually dated before, and it was harder in a way because I didn't acknowledge how I felt because it seemed ridiculous, but we can't help how we feel. Personally I would block him, acknowledge how you feel about it and move on.

Sandra15 · 30/07/2021 20:13

@Starfleck

He was looking for sex, you didn't indulge which is absolutely the right thing to do if you aren't comfortable with it, and then mugged you off. if it makes you feel any better I don't think he did it because of who you are or anything, you could have been anyone and he wasn't getting what he wanted out of chatting which is why he ghosted you.

I do think it's a bit weird to feel annoyed by this, but in the past I have had to get over someone I never actually dated before, and it was harder in a way because I didn't acknowledge how I felt because it seemed ridiculous, but we can't help how we feel. Personally I would block him, acknowledge how you feel about it and move on.

Yes probably I was disappointed that he wasn't the guy I thought he was. It's not that I haven't moved on though. I've got bigger things going on in my life to be interested in dating just now.

Thanks for the sensible reply.

OP posts:
SpiceRat · 30/07/2021 20:13

If you really didn't care, you wouldn't be posting.
This. If he upset you so much at the time of ghosting you would have deleted and blocked him. The fact that you know 'apparently it's an old photo from a holiday in St Lucia years ago.' also speaks volumes. If you deleted him as soon as you saw the photo because you we're so repulsed by him, how do you know this?
Move on pet, it's not worth it.

Persephonesgrove · 30/07/2021 20:18

What do you think I am lying about, Persephone? If you ask me, I will answer you. If you want to, that is.

Well you don't need to answer me. That's up to you.

But I will ask and if you don't want to answer that's fine.

You said you didn't ever discuss body type or have any expectation of his body type. But you knew he was a fitness instructor and you began speaking to him regarding work? So you did assume he was going to fit and not 'tubby'? You also must have spoken about his work in some capacity. Or he knows you expected someone fit and he wasn't at that time, fit.

He didn't just ghost you. The man who sent you sexual texts that you didn't like, that are odds with you own values. Invited you to his house the first time that you met and you went. And he didn't answer the door?

That would be hugely devastating for anyone and would be more difficult to get over. But it doesn't match you claim that you weren't that fussed or really repelled by his dirty texts. You weren't put off until you saw he was tubby.

This man was awful, but it wasn't you saw his 'tubbiness' that you were put off. Why is that?

You know when he reads your messages, even though there's months between you sending it and him reading it. On other posts you have said you know what he has been posting on fb more recently. But telling us you don't look or see anything from him usually.

You have checked his photo between posting this AND now to see the comment about St Lucia.

All these things add up to someone who isn't being honest about the level of interest they have in someone.

Given the circumstances, I think its entirely OK to be still shell shocked over this. You don't need to answer. But if you can't be honest about why you keep this man on Facebook and why he has got under your skin you are not going to move on.

You are either really struggling with what he did OR you have feelings for him that are far above what you are saying.

Again, you don't need to answer at all. It's more for you to think about so you can find some peace.

Sandra15 · 30/07/2021 20:21

@TheFoundations

Persephone is saying that you're not admitting how much you wanted him to be into you/were or are interested in him.

If you really didn't care, you wouldn't be posting.

As I might have said, I thought we got on well and was interested in meeting. I'd not responded to the sex talk and it had stopped. I thought we were meeting for coffee, nothing more. The chatting had resumed normality. Then the ghosting. Then I read his messages again and realised he was really a twonk and I'd got carried away. No further attempt to engage from me and I don't want to. I think I'd subconsciously known he wasn't worth it and here was the confirmation. If he'd contacted me I wouldn't have reciprocated.

Being startled by a picture in my news feed is not akin to wishing I was with him, being obsessed or stalking or wanting a man.

OP posts:
clickychicky · 30/07/2021 20:22

Why do you think it upset you?

toocold54 · 30/07/2021 20:22

Yes probably I was disappointed that he wasn't the guy I thought he was. It's not that I haven't moved on though. I've got bigger things going on in my life to be interested in dating just now.

If you don’t want to date right now then great! I don’t either. But don’t let this person take up any of your energy when you have no intention of doing anything about it.
It’s very difficult when you like someone and they don’t feel the same - trust me we’ve all been there. But you just need to delete them off social media and focus on something else.

How old are you?
Was this your first time dating? Or have you had serious relationships/been married before?

clickychicky · 30/07/2021 20:22

I know you said you have no idea. But wondering if now you've had a few hours to think about it you might have more insight?

Persephonesgrove · 30/07/2021 20:23

@daphnedoo12

Just block him, even if he improved his looks he's still not worth your time. The more you keep looking the shittier you'll feel when you really don't need to see his profile
This^
Persephonesgrove · 30/07/2021 20:25

Then I read his messages again and realised he was really a twonk and I'd got carried away

Is this why he has got under your skin so much?

That you got carried away with a man you see as 'beneath' you, in terms of values (and maybe looks) and you feel embarrassed by that? And that's the source of your annoyance.

TheFoundations · 30/07/2021 20:25

Being startled by a picture in my news feed is not akin to wishing I was with him, being obsessed or stalking or wanting a man

There's a big difference between these things and caring more than you admit. You could care about him or you could care about how much he hurt your ego. It's the latter you're not admitting.

toocold54 · 30/07/2021 20:26

Yes probably I was disappointed that he wasn't the guy I thought he was. It's not that I haven't moved on though. I've got bigger things going on in my life to be interested in dating just now.

The reality is that some men are absolute twats!
They will be really nice to you one minute and then either ghost you for no reason or ghost you after you’ve had sex with them.
You have to meet a few of these idiots to know when you’ve found a decent one.
I always have my guard up a bit whenever I meet someone knew incase they do the same thing.

When you are ready to date the best thing for you to do would be get on to online dating like tinder and just talk to guys to see what you are interested in. You’ll find a lot of these are idiots so be on your guard but I think it’s a good way to learn how to spot the red flags easier.

Sandra15 · 30/07/2021 20:37

@Persephonesgrove

True, I did say nobody discussed body type. I never said I had no expectation, I said it wasn’t discussed, and it wasn’t. Fitness instructor? Where have you got that from? He isn’t one! I’ve never said he was. He and I began speaking regarding work but it was nothing to do with fitness instruction whatsoever. The work is actually not relevant.

Yes, he did play an elaborate charade about pretending not to live where he did. I know that was a pack of lies. I know he lived there.

The mucky messages stopped when I didn’t bite back or respond and talked about general topics instead. Only after the ghosting behaviour did I read them again and concluded that he was a waste of time anyway. It didn’t stop his actions being reprehensible, though.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when we met. I wasn’t expecting to jump into bed with him. I’d have to have known him for quite some time to get to that stage, if it was right. I doubt it would have been.

I don’t know when he reads my messages, no. I sent him one message only, calling him out (in a very low key way, and telling him I knew about the fiasco at the door) about the ghosting. That was in December, and it was read in May. I saw that when I was going through my messages. I wasn’t in touch with him, and I wasn’t looking. It was ONE message only.

I have said that I know he looks at my facebook stories, because a list appears of who has viewed them. I am not going to stop posting stories just because he might have seen them.

I don’t think I have said I know what he’s posted more recently. I haven’t seen anything in my news feed relating to him for over six months until this morning. Out of curiosity I clicked on the picture, because to be honest it didn’t look like the last up to date (chunky!) picture of him I saw last Autumn.

As for the perceived ‘level of interest’, curiosity about a profile picture isn’t romantic interest.

To be clear:

I don’t want him. I don’t want to meet him. He was an arse for ghosting, and a coward. He’s posted a picture of himself when he was younger, fitter and had more hair!

No I am not ‘struggling’ with it, even though I was pissed off when it happened. He wasn’t worth it. I don’t have ‘feelings’ for someone who is an arsehole. I am not an online dater, I had no idea that blokes sent mucky messages. I was in a relationship from 21 to 36 years old and have never done this sort of thing. And to be clear too, I am not looking for a man, for Christ’s sake, as people seem to be suggesting!

It was simply a surprise, took the wind out of my sails, and gave me a jolt. I wondered why. Lots of other people have made a huge mountain out of a molehill and been very rude in the process. Rather than me being overinvested in this guy, it seems many people are overinvested in the whole story!

OP posts:
Sandra15 · 30/07/2021 20:38

@toocold54

Yes probably I was disappointed that he wasn't the guy I thought he was. It's not that I haven't moved on though. I've got bigger things going on in my life to be interested in dating just now.

If you don’t want to date right now then great! I don’t either. But don’t let this person take up any of your energy when you have no intention of doing anything about it.
It’s very difficult when you like someone and they don’t feel the same - trust me we’ve all been there. But you just need to delete them off social media and focus on something else.

How old are you?
Was this your first time dating? Or have you had serious relationships/been married before?

I am 37. I was in a long term relationship from 21 to just over 35. It wasn't even dating, and I wasn't looking. I was talking to him over a work related project and it went from there.
OP posts: