10 petty and absurd dealbreakers that ruined relationships, according to Reddit

hopticsOctober 6, 2025

One of the non-negotiables that comes with being a human is that not everyone is going to like you — especially when dating. But that’s also the beauty of being human; everyone is different, and the world would be a boring place if we were all the same. In terms of meeting our potential soul mate, many people have set standards, boundaries and dealbreakers that align with their personality and what they want from a relationship. While some make total sense — from infidelity to different ambition levels — others can be so absurd and petty that it’s hard to tell whether they’re being serious. With that, we took to the respected threads of Reddit to find out some of the wildest dealbreakers, trawling through a dedicated post about said subject. Honestly, some are so laughable and trivial that we wonder whether a select few users may remain alone forever. Not to be dramatic or anything… (Picture: Getty Images)

1. Reebok shoes are a no-go

Not Adidas. Not Puma. Not Nike. Just Reebok. One person openly admitted that while their dealbreaker was ‘so petty,’ they couldn’t see past it. They shared: ‘When I was in my 20s, a guy I was dating suddenly started wearing black Reebok tennis shoes that reminded me of orthopaedic shoes. I was never able to see him the same way again.’ Note to the future partner of this Reddit user: if you own a pair of these shoes, you might want to bin them. Now… (Picture: Getty Images)

2. Jewellery on a man

OK, we get that everyone has their own fashion sense, and people often end up with partners who share similar styles and tastes. This one cropped up quite a lot, with one person stating that they specifically ‘can’t deal with jewellery on a man,’ except maybe a watch or subtle bracelet. ‘Class ring? Diamond stud? Cross necklace? I can’t,’ they said (Picture: Getty Images)

3. Girls with chest tattoos

Another personal preference here. But before we go any further, let us just say that it’s nobody else’s choice how you present yourself appearance-wise but yours. Don’t ever let anyone’s tastes make you feel less-than — we are all unique. However, a couple of people did note that they don’t like ‘huge chest tattoos’ on women. ‘I love tattoos and I have a few (with plans to get more), but there are certain places that I think should be left blank,’ one person said. Our response to this? Your body, your choice, and whether or not you have a chest tattoo is absolutely nothing to do with anyone else (Picture: Getty Images)

4. Overuse of the word ‘lol’

Now this is seriously petty. One user said they hate it when potential love interests overuse the word ‘lol’ in texts. They noted how, when it becomes a ‘sub for a period,’ (or full stop to us Brits), they are ‘out.’ Lol. (It was hard to resist) (Picture: Getty Images)

5. Organic lifestyle

It’s so funny when people get the ick over people who just generally like to look after themselves. Granted, this person didn’t say it was a dealbreaker for them, but they did note that ‘whenever [they] meet anyone who is into organic, all-natural, at-one-with-the-universe stuff, [they] proceed with caution and usually have one eyebrow raised’ (Picture: Getty Images)

6. Believing in aliens

This one is pretty niche. A Reddit user shared a past dating experience with the rest of the thread, and revealed that they were once with a girl who ‘deadly serious believed in aliens and abductions.’ While they did get along ‘really well,’ the user said she would go to abductee conventions, and they just couldn’t get on board with it. ‘It was really difficult to take anything she said about that stuff seriously and it pretty much soured our relationship’ (Picture: Getty Images)

7. Talking to pets

We can kind of understand this one, as the majority of people are either pet people, or they’re not. One person said that their friend’s dealbreaker is people talking to their pets. They didn’t actually expand, so we’re not sure what they meant by this. Because if someone was calling their dog for its dinner or for walks, then fine. But if someone was chatting to their dog like an actual human being (e.g. telling them about their day), we have to admit, we would also raise an eyebrow (Picture: Getty Images)

8. People who talk really loudly

There was some discussion on this one, as people admitted to raising their voices a little after a few drinks, or if they’re excited about something. But the user confirmed that these exceptions are fine. Rather, it’s when someone talks really loudly all the time. They described going on two dates with a guy who ‘basically yelled at [them] for two hours straight.’ Yeah, that’s annoying (Picture: Getty Images)

9. People who speak in texting language

And by that, the Reddit user means if someone says ‘O-M-G,’ rather than ‘Oh my God.’ Or spells out LOL in conversation, rather than reserving it for texts. ‘I just can’t get past it,’ they said (Picture: Getty Images)

10. Polo shirts

Yep, we also laughed. A different user said that their ick is ‘certain types of clothing,’ and that they ‘can’t abide polo shirts.’ The person shared: ‘I mean, once in a blue moon, maybe… but a guy who wore polo shirts all the time would be off my list so fast I’d probably leave a scorch mark on the paper. Yes, many men wear them, and no my response is barely rational (although not entirely irrational). But it is what it is.’ They also said that loafers and chino-type pants — or beige pants in general — are a huge turn-off, too. However, they joked: ‘But I might be able to get past those things as long as there are no polo shirts involved’ (Picture: Getty Images)

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