Having a conversation with someone about your red flags before dating them is not optional; it’s compulsory.

This is a discussion that so many failed couples never have, as they are too caught up in the emotions they feel for each other.

The feel-good hormone, dopamine, is so high at these early stages, these couples don’t think to have a real conversation about their red flags.

All they want to do is keep living in the euphoria that they are experiencing with each other.

Everything else takes a backseat.

Unfortunately, since they never had this crucial conversation about red flags, the relationship falls into ruin once the excitement inevitably extinguishes.

An inordinate number of relationships have failed due to the absence of this all-important conversation.

When you talk about red flags with someone who has relationship potential, you are being transparent.

Letting him know your red flags makes it easier to ascertain whether you are both on the same wavelength.

It’s feasible he has red flags of his own that match yours as well as red flags that don’t.

Either way, by having this conversation, the red flags are made known.

You both have an opportunity to determine whether you are in tune with each other’s red flags.

Where there is any confusion, you are both capable of explaining further.

With this kind of clarity, you come to an understanding of whether these red flags are acceptable.

Should you mutually agree on each other’s red flags and a willingness to adhere to them, the next step is to do some roleplaying that is designed to show these red flags in action.

This role-playing act is absolutely necessary.

When two people are on an emotional high for each other, it isn’t out of the ordinary for them to gloss over their red flags.

Ergo, it isn’t enough to just have a conversation about the red flags; it is just as important to role-play so that you can both create scenarios that further elaborate on them.

Without doing this, you might think that you both fully understand what the red flags are when in fact you don’t.

Roleplaying allows you two to clearly identify a red flag situation.

There is an opportunity to correct the other if there is a mistake or misunderstanding demonstrated while in the course of roleplaying.

Once these red flags are spoken about and elaborated on through role-playing, don’t think that this is where the conversation stops.

A healthy relationship is characterized by consistent communication.

You shouldn’t instantly assume that by having this conversation your partner will always be conscious of the red flags as the relationship progresses.

That is irresponsible.

There should be regular check-ins to acknowledge what each other is doing in reference to avoiding these red flags.

This means that you are keeping each other in check so as to avoid complacency with the red flags.

This is often a problem couples experience after they have had the conversation about red flags and agreed to them.

Without regular check-ins, they get too complacent, and some of the red flags are ignored.

If uncorrected, the relationship inevitably falls apart.

Regular check-in conversations prevent this from happening in your relationship.