Here are 5 common reasons men decide to end a relationship, according to insights from Yourtango psychology magazine.

One key factor is the unconscious weighing of pros and cons. A 2022 study published in the US National Library of Medicine indicates that people unconsciously perform a "cost-benefit" analysis in relationships. When minor arguments recur, and mental exhaustion starts to outweigh joy, dissatisfaction arises. When men perceive maintaining a relationship as a burden rather than a peaceful haven, their brains signal an alarm. This isn't necessarily selfishness, but a self-preservation mechanism when mental well-being is severely depleted.

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Men can also experience emotional exhaustion. Women often seek reassurance through questions or expect their partners to understand every emotional fluctuation. However, constantly having to explain or navigate "emotional minefields" daily can easily exhaust men. Psychological experts point out that if one partner constantly demands excessive emotional validation, the other will gradually feel pressured. When men feel more like a "therapist" than a partner, they tend to withdraw to find relief.

The fading of friendship is another significant reason. Journalist Rhaina Cohen, author of the renowned book The Other Significant Others, argues that the most enduring foundation of a marriage or romantic relationship is friendship. Many couples may still be in love but no longer find common ground in shared interests or daily conversations. If the soul connection and ability to share like close friends are lost, the relationship becomes merely a bond of responsibility. When this connection breaks, trying to stay together only leads to a sense of pretense.

Furthermore, a partner's loss of individual identity can lead to a breakup. Research from Dalian Medical University (Trung Quoc) confirms that when one person loses their individual identity, both partners suffer. When a woman abandons her passions, friends, and personal world to cling to a man, she inadvertently extinguishes her initial appeal. Fire needs oxygen to burn, and love needs space to breathe. If men perceive themselves as their partner's sole "source of life", they will feel suffocated. Excessive dependence does not create connection; instead, it pushes the other person away.

Finally, divergent future directions represent a practical and harsh reason. Two people can be deeply in love, but if one desires to settle abroad while the other wants to stay close to their parents; or if one longs for children while the other does not, love will eventually surrender to reality. When core values prove irreconcilable, men (with their characteristic practical mindset) often choose to end the relationship early to minimize long-term suffering for both, even if they still harbor deep affection.

Nhat Minh (According to Yourtango)