12 habits of dysfunctional couples

5. He marginalizes you and you feel pressured to scale up in order to be loved

If he acts like a thick-faced, black-heart emperor and treats you like a permanent work-in-progress project, clearly doesn’t accept you as you are, ask yourself if you’re truly happy. Life’s too short to have someone make a crack pot out of you by highlighting your shortcomings 24/7. In a moment of blazing clarity, you realize his appreciation only comes when his expectations are met and he likes himself just the way he is.