Post-Coronavirus Dating: The People You Still Need To Avoid

Treva Brandon Scharf
4 min readJun 1, 2020

Avoid them like your life depends on it.

Photo by Michael Walter on Unsplash

There’s going to come a time when life gets back to normal, and regular dating will resume. Other than still practicing some social distancing and washing your hands every five seconds, chances are, you’ll still be the same person you were before the pandemic — and so will the people you’ll be dating.

Except you might be feeling a little more desperate. Or lonely. Or starved for affection or human contact. And who could blame you? Problem is, those feelings might lead to poor choices.

How much a pandemic changes people, we don’t know, but what we do know is that coronavirus or no coronavirus, there are still people you need to avoid dating, no matter how horny or deprived you are.

I just read a great article by James Michael Sama about the five types of people you should avoid dating:

The Control Freak:

The person who tries to mold you into the person he/she wants you to be.

The Constant Complainer:

Someone who drags another down emotionally.

Silly Putty:

Someone who doesn’t have their own identity and relies on you for every decision.

The Center Of The Universe:

Someone who is so self-absorbed that everything needs to revolve around them.

The Ultra-Materialistic:

Someone who tries to use you for what you have, or someone who tries to use what they have to “get” you.

All of these are excellent, and I wholeheartedly agree with each one of them. If you’re going to be dating now or anytime in the future, stay the fuck away from the aforementioned kinds of people.

While you’re at it, here’s a few more types I came up with that I highly recommend staying more than six feet away from now until eternity:

The Person Not Over Their Ex:

If you thought COVID19 made you miserable, try dating someone who’s not over their ex. This type might physically be there, but their heart and mind aren’t. This person will keep you a secret, keep you guessing, and keep making excuses as to why they can’t be fully present. No matter how hot, smart, brilliant, cute, sexy you are, the ex will loom over your relationship, and you’ll find yourself forced to either compete, or take a back seat. The worst part is, they’ll never admit they’re still hung up on the ex. They’ll just wait for the situation to become so untenable, you’ll have no choice but to leave. And good for you if you do.

The Person Looking To Be Needed, Saved, Or Has Attachment Issues:

Unless you like a damsel in distress or a wounded bird, keep your distance. I know men and women who live to be needed; it gives them power and pumps up their ego. People with “savior complex” come in like white knights to save the day. It’s all very noble and chivalrous until it becomes codependent and weird. Neediness is never sexy. Attachment is not love. Put your mask on and go find someone that doesn’t need saving, fixing, or rescuing.

The Chronically Bitter/Angry Person:

When you date someone who’s chronically bitter or angry, it’s always a fight: either with you, or with themselves. And if their anger and bitterness is really entrenched, it becomes like a third person in the relationship who won’t go away. NEWSFLASH: your love will never soothe a person who constantly bitches, or seethes about past disappointments, slights or failures. But good luck trying. Oh, and did I mention the walking on eggshells part? Good luck with that too!

The Crazy Person:

I don’t care how great the sex is, when you date a bad boy or crazy chick, you’re asking for trouble. You’re also asking for chaos, instability, inconsistency, and drama. Do you really need that after a pandemic? Like you haven’t had enough stress? How many refills of Xanax can you get to keep adding more anxiety to your life? Even after the coronavirus, you’ve got to keep practicing good habits, which starts with staying the hell away from these types of people.

The Newly Separated/Divorced Person:

If the word “Rebound” gives you a dry cough and shortness of breath, your body is telling you something: STAY AWAY FROM NEWLY SEPARATED/DIVORCED PEOPLE. More than likely, you‘ll be a rebound after their relationship ends, and it won’t end well for you. Dating this type has serious side effects including general pain, suffering, frustration and fatigue. If you happen to meet one of these highly seductive creatures, immediately lock yourself down.

What’s the post-coronavirus dating prognosis? Until there’s a test that tells you what type you’re dealing with, you’ll just have to depend on your own good judgment to stay safe and healthy. But if you start getting symptoms, or suddenly feel lousy, you’ll know you’re dating the wrong person. Avoid them like the plague.

Want more dating advice and wisdom from someone who’s been around the block? Visit www.trevabrandonscharf.com. Follow me at @trevabme.

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Treva Brandon Scharf
Treva Brandon Scharf

Written by Treva Brandon Scharf

ICF-certified life/dating/relationship coach, author of "Done Being Single: A Late Bloomer's Guide to Love." Visit www.trevabrandonscharf.com.

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