It’s not uncommon for ex-partners to want to rub their new relationships in each other’s faces. It’s immature and mean-spirited, but it’s not novel.
Many people will do this for many different reasons. Whether they want to show you they’ve moved on or how much happier they are without you, it’s meant to cause a reaction.
Is it a fair thing to do?
We want to start this article by saying that the one that should feel sorry if your ex rubs their new relationship in your face is the new partner. Why? Because it’s clear they’re being used to get a response from you. All the love and attention that your ex is showing their new partner has a hidden intention, it’s not 100% genuine.
If your ex had truly moved on, they wouldn’t be wasting time and energy making sure you know about their new relationship. They would simply be experiencing and enjoying the relationship. If they are rubbing it in your face, it means they’re still hung up on you. At the very least, it means they are still holding a grudge for whatever reason so they’re still thinking about you.
Now, there are many different ways your ex can rub their new relationship in your face. Some people do this very subtly but you still have a gut feeling about it. To help you determine if that’s indeed what’s happening, we will discuss a few signs your ex is rubbing his new relationship in your face.
Signs your ex is rubbing their new relationship in your face:
1- They always seem to show up:
Your ex knows you pretty well, wouldn’t you say? Even if you were only together for a few months, they know the places you frequent. They know where you often go to eat with friends, where you buy your coffee, where you exercise, etc.
If they’re in a new relationship and they’re suddenly showing up almost everywhere with their new darling, that’s a strong sign your ex might be rubbing it in. It could be a coincidence, but if it’s happening very often, you have to wonder whether they’re doing it on purpose.
2- Your ex cranks up the public displays of affection:
So, not only is your ex showing up everywhere with their new partner, but they’re also overly loving when they know you’re around. They go overboard with the public displays of affection, to the point it makes the people around them uncomfortable.
You catch your ex kind of looking your way when they’re hugging or kissing their partner. You hear them speaking a little louder when they’re saying nice things to them. This is the kind of behavior of an ex that’s rubbing their new relationship in your face.
3- They let your gossipy mutual friends know:
This is a big sign your ex is trying to rub their new relationship in your face. If you have friends in common and they announce their new relationship to your most gossipy mutual friend, that’s very telling. They’re trying to make sure you find out.
Maybe you’re not into social media, or you’ve stopped following them, or they haven’t been able to bump into you, so they’re going to great lengths to make sure you know. That’s suspicious and weird, isn’t it?…
4- They broadcast everything on social media:
Constantly posting pictures with their new partner and broadcasting everything they do together, in excess, is a good sign your ex is trying to rub the new relationship in your face too. This is particularly telling if you know your ex to be a private person and they didn’t tend to share everything on social media before.
When they don’t have any other way of making an impression on you, they will go to social media. They will bombard your feed with pictures and videos to show the world how happy they are in the new relationship.
Though this may be genuine, it’s uncommon to do that when you’ve just started dating. Usually, people share their relationships on social media gradually.
Conclusion:
If your ex is trying to rub their new relationship in your face, the best thing you can do is let them waste their time and energy. It might be awkward and you might feel angry about how obviously mean-spirited they’re being, but don’t give them the satisfaction.
Happy people don’t do that kind of stuff nor go out of their way to prove their happiness to others, and it’s actually sad that they’re using another person like that. It’s not a good look for them, so you should continue being the bigger person.
Don’t give your ex any of your energy. Check this article out for how powerful it can be to ignore your ex. Focus on yourself and your own healing instead.
Take the high road and do whatever you can to shield yourself from what your ex is doing. Protect your energy and feelings; unfollow or block them on social media, ask your mutual friends to not talk about them because you’re not interested, and don’t pay them any mind when they’re around you.