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Relationships

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

Would these things be deal breakers?

70 replies

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 16:56

Hi looking for perspective here!!

Met my partner at work following a divorce. At the time I was struggling to get a mortgage large enough to keep my house & he very kindly offered to come on to the mortgage to help me out. He wrote a very generous legal agreement protecting my equity in the property.

When we met I was attracted to his intellect, his ambition and his worldview. I found him attractive too if course.

Fast forward 4 years and I’m really struggling. He still works in a high powered role but now100% from home. He never leaves the house. Has no friends. Drinks a lot every night. His only social engagements are work drinks- and it’s rare he’ll do that. He never, ever brushes his teeth and he really smells at night and in the morning in particular. He has generally low standards of hygiene, dirty food-stained clothes. He smokes SO much it’s unreal. He doesn’t clean. He does however cook a lot - but he always cooks massive meals that are really unhealthy and then leaves everything dirty so I have to clean it. I do all other housework too - unless I’m annoyed then he’ll do some.

he is a very kind and generous person (as helping me with getting a mortgage demonstrates). But when he’s not working he’s a big like a shell, scrolling Facebook or playing Call of Duty.

he’ll do anything I ask - but would never take the initiative to do something himself - like anything. I guess he doesn’t bring much of himself into our relationship - in fact I’m not sure if there is any “himself”…. It’s like there’s a work persona, then outside work there’s a shell that can do people pleasing / servitude if needed.

He is brilliant to talk to and if I ever have a problem he has amazing advice and he’s super loyal.

am I wrong to be reconsidering this relations?

OP posts:
HelloGooodBye · 26/11/2022 17:25

No you're not be wrong to want to end it with him. Time to have the break up chat.

5128gap · 26/11/2022 17:41

If he really will do anything you ask, ask him to shower and wear clean clothes daily, stop smoking in the house, cut down on his drinking, clean up the kitchen and plan some days/evenings out for you both.
Tell him you're considering leaving him and these things really matter. If there's no improvement in a month, I'd be leaving.

Indigoo03 · 26/11/2022 17:47

@TheCunningLinguist did he always smell and not brush his teeth?

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 18:11

Well I wasn’t aware that he didn’t brush his teeth until we lived together- but yes he did sometimes have smelly breath…. But I guess I didn’t realise it came from a place of such total lack of self care….

and yes I should clarify @5128gap I have asked him to clean his teeth a few times, said the drinking / smoking bothers me etc.

it’s like he’ll do anything for me - but if it relates to himself he won’t consider changing.

I think I’m not sure if I am being shallow or not

OP posts:
Bananalanacake · 26/11/2022 18:16

His teeth will rot and fall out if he's not careful.

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 18:37

@Bananalanacake - they will. I think I’m not sure whether it is sensible to settle with someone who is happy to let their mouth rot.

I think it’s the lack of self respect, lack of self care that bothers me. That old cliche if you don’t love yourself it’s hard for others to love you feels quite apt here….

and I think I shouldn’t really need to ask him to change these things… and that even if he were able to change them it wouldn’t be because he gave a shit about himself, it would be because I asked…. And even that feels wrong.

maybe not very adult - to - adult…

OP posts:
Outtasteamandluck · 26/11/2022 20:11

Can he take the initiative and brush his teeth ??

I'm guessing there's no intimacy 🤮

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:14

@Outtasteamandluck - he never, ever brushes. And I’ve told him a number of times how much it bothers me but he doesn’t seem to want to… there is intimacy - but yes it does put me off.

OP posts:
Watchkeys · 26/11/2022 20:15

am I wrong to be reconsidering this relations

What rules do you think you're supposed to be following? If you don't like it, you leave. Nobody knows better than you about how you feel. If a person wants to leave their partner because they eat strawberry yoghurt, it's justified, if it makes them unhappy. Do what you want, not what other people think it's ok/not ok for you to do.

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:25

Thanks @Watchkeys very insightful 🤨

im not asking for permission and I know there aren’t rules keeping me in the relationship - what I am looking for is a sounding board to help figure out if there’s anything to invest in, if people have experience of getting others to change what seem to be pretty fixed habits, some perspective to see whether it’s as odd as I think to live like this, because ending the relationship is a huge decision and while he’s an odd guy he’s also been a partner and friend for a long time.

I don’t have a lot of people I want to talk to about this yet so I’m hoping to gather or explore my feelings here. Maybe with input from others who have insight to share

OP posts:
Watchkeys · 26/11/2022 20:29

@TheCunningLinguist

Thanks for your sarcasm.

Msgrieves · 26/11/2022 20:30

He sounds depressed, from how you have described him he would be a keeper for me. Would your life improve without him in it? Mumsnet wants every bloke to be perfect blah blah. I'm quite realistic though, I don't think there is always better out there. Tbh wish I had never split up with my ex, he is annoying and emotionally stunted, but my life may have gone a lot better if I didn't leave him.

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:34

Yes. I do think he could be depressed tbh. And I just wish he would help himself or let me help him. Maybe I should just tell him what I think needs to change & see if we can do it together. I also dumped (well divorced actually) someone very annoying only to bring many of the perceived problems with me…. It’s easy to think ending a relationship solves stuff. But maybe I just need to say what I need him to do…. I think I think a lot in my head but don’t communicate much of it

OP posts:
80s · 26/11/2022 20:35

I thought you were going to say some little thing, like having an annoying habit or something. But it sounds like your lifestyles clash totally.

My partner has a messier home than me, dresses down more than me, smokes, drinks more than me and also eats relatively unhealthily. But a) we don't live together, b) none of these things are out of hand and c) none of it affects my lifestyle as he is fine with me wanting to eat more healthily, drink less etc. If he was like your partner, I'd be giving him a cuddle and saying that this wasn't for me in the long run. It's not about being shallow or snobby; just about wanting to lead a certain kind of life.

My exh was a bit like what you describe about him being like an empty shell - apparently without much of an internal life, if that's what you mean? (Not sure, as you say your guy is capable of a meaningful discussion, too?)
Shame for him if he has no proper life outside work - but if that's what he wants, then that's his business. Doesn't have to become your life, though.

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:38

@80s yeah no internal life. Just seems really content with sitting in one room scrolling whatever screen. And he can have really interesting povs if asked but recently I’ve noticed unless I start a convo he will just sit there. Like, for a week. It’s so weird. But maybe it’s not odd and he’s fine.

OP posts:
rockingbird · 26/11/2022 20:39

Hmm sounds like my stbexh .. I used to have to tell him to change his clothes, he'd happily walk around in food stained tops!! Very much lacking in self care.. also loved to cook and drink lots of wine, never cleaned up ever! He most definitely has autism, obsessive about work and very little interest outside of that.. could this also be the case for your partner?

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:40

I think the crux of it is this:

at 42 I have to think about how I want the second half of my life to play out & be really intentional…
… and at 42 I probably shouldn’t be jumping from a relationship that does have some strong positives…

OP posts:
TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:41

@rockingbird - 100% he is autistic

OP posts:
TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:42

@rockingbird in fact it could be the same guy by the sounds of it!! Why did you split up?

OP posts:
username8888 · 26/11/2022 20:44

You need to ask him to leave. It's not working, you are not compatible. That's enough of a reason. Don't waste any more of your life on him.

80s · 26/11/2022 20:45

Could be mildly depressed, or maybe that's just him, who knows?
If you're thinking of ending things anyway then there's no risk in talking to him openly. Saying you've noticed he doesn't have any drive, social life outside work; is he happy like that? Suggest he gets help if he's not satisfied, or point out that he might get more out of life.
My partner now is very big on having a social life - working to live, not living to work. It's fun :)

80s · 26/11/2022 20:49

at 42 I probably shouldn’t be jumping from a relationship that does have some strong positives
Are you hoping to have children with him last-minute, or why would you settle at that age?

Zanatdy · 26/11/2022 20:57

I think I’d be 100% honest with him. Tell him that all those things are bothering you a lot. Help him to change, but if he won’t / doesn’t then I’d consider leaving the relationship. It can’t be pleasant being intimate with someone who smells and doesn’t clean their teeth. Not sure if he would like to have sex with someone who stank either. It might hurt him, but he needs to know the future of the relationship is on the line and then it’s up to him if he is prepared to change. Like you say he does have a lot of good things going for him but the lack of body hygiene is going to be off putting to anyone

TheCunningLinguist · 26/11/2022 20:59

No definitely not looking to have kids.

I think on reflection why I started this thread is partly because I don’t quite have the words to describe the problem to him.

like what is it about the fact that every day he rolls out of bed, smokes a fag, has a 30 minute poo and then spends all day on the sofa that is actually a problem? I can still go out, I can still do stuff, I still have a morning routine. So why is it actually a problem for me that he does that??

maybe I am just very controlling about how I want the people around me to be?!

OP posts:
Ragruggers · 26/11/2022 21:02

Reading your thread the first thing that came to me was autism.Try once more to explain he needs to shower,change his clothes.Can he make an appt, with a dentist.? Doubt he will change.Protect yourself you nay have one life.