1 of 14

Gettyimages.com/Portrait of woman with ringlets

It breaks my heart to see certain people complaining that they can’t find love, when it’s so clear to me that the reason they can’t, is because they have some serious self-esteem issues to work on first. They’re barking up the entirely wrong tree. They shouldn’t be looking for a partner—they should be looking for a therapist. So many people think that having a relationship will fix their low self-esteem. Or, they think that they’re the one exception to the rule that states you really can’t find a good relationship with low self-esteem. If you know someone with incredibly low self-esteem who found herself with a really great partner with whom she’s truly compatible, that’s a freak incident and not the norm. Here is why you can’t have love and low self-esteem.

Image Source: Shutterstock

You’ll attract someone who wants to keep you down

There are people who prey on those with low self-esteem. You could wind up attracting a lot of them. These individuals also tend to have low self-esteem, and keeping you down makes them feel better.

Shutterstock

You’ll question yourself when you want something

Anytime you want something from your partner—you want him to get to know your friends better or you want him to help you with the dog more—you’ll question that want. You always tell yourself you aren’t worthy of things, so why should you be worthy of things in a relationship?

Bigstockphoto.com/Handsome african american business man posing isolated. Young confident businessman in suit. Success, professional concept

Your partner’s victories will worry you

Rather than be happy for your partner when something good happens to him—he moves up at work, he gets in better shape—you’ll just worry if your partner is becoming too good for you.

Image Source: Shutterstock

You’ll require constant reassurance

You need your partner to constantly reassure you that he is happy with you, that he wants to be in this relationship, that he loves you, that he finds you attractive, that he’s glad to spend his Friday night with you…it will get to be too much for him.

Your partner’s love will never be enough

No matter how loving your partner is to you, you’ll never feel satisfied. If you don’t love yourself, then no exterior love will satisfy you. And it will be very hard on your partner to give you everything he has, and see that it’s still not enough.

Corbis

You might unintentionally seek out other attention

Without even realizing it, you may cross the line with other men. You might let inappropriate comments from male friends and coworkers slide. You may accept a drink from a man you know is interested in you. Subconsciously, you desperately need exterior validation so you don’t have boundaries with other men.