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The classic way of doing things (dating, followed by emotional intimacy and physical intimacy) isn’t as common as we might think. We won’t meet people this way the majority of the time.

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Now, let's get down to the signs you're in a non-committed relationship. If you’ve been seeing someone for a long time and you don’t expect to hear from them or know when you’re going to hang out next, it may be a sign.

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In a strong committed relationship, you should be able to count on your partner to show up. They should respond to your texts, keep you up to date with plans, and make time to see you.

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In the age of smartphones, Tinder, and instant hookups, it can be pretty difficult to know where you stand with someone. When relationships don’t follow a classic timeline, it’s hard to know.

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At some point, you will have to get down to it. You will have to have the “what are we” talk. It’s awkward, uncomfortable, and it can be painful, but not nearly half as painful as letting time move on and not knowing where you stand.

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Lack of consistency can pull on the heartstrings. If you don’t define it, the person might not even know that you’re expecting more from them.

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In relationships, partners tend to plan the future together in some capacity. They don’t need to be excessively long-term, but commitment implies that you’ll be around at some time in the future.

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Talking about the future can involve meeting the family, going to an event, or even planning to move in together or get a mortgage. It doesn’t have to be big. But it should exist on some level.

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If you don’t want a fling and they don’t want anything to do with commitment, then the most respectful thing to do is to stop seeing the person. It shouldn't be too difficult to keep yourself distracted if the relationship hasn't existed for long.

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If they say they’re not serious about a relationship or aren’t looking for something that requires commitment, take their word for it. Often we get caught up in trying to convince them (and ourselves).

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It’s disrespectful to yourself to be with someone who doesn’t completely want to commit to you, and it's disrespectful to them to put pressure on the situation.

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If you try to bring up the future with your current partner and they dodge the question or give vague responses, it’s another sign that you’re in a non-committed relationship. They’re trying to spare your feelings.

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Some people will only introduce partners to their friends if they expect to still be with the person a little further down the line.

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If after a decent amount of time there’s no sign of you ever hanging out with other people with them, then the likelihood is that it’s not happening for a reason.

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People in non-committed relationships won’t have a deep personal connection. This is where relationships get into the hook-up territory. If you feel fine about it, then great. But if you don’t, it’s best not to leave it sitting.

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It might look like not having anything in common or not being able to speak about intimacy. It might look like conversations lulling most of the time.

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Surface-level connection in relationships means you both don’t have a deep emotional connection. It’s pretty normal at the beginning of a relationship. You’re not going to understand someone in the first moment.

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Invites tend to be last minute and kind of random. They might leave for weeks and you hear nothing from them until they’re back. They don’t go out of their way for you.

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The purely physical relationship is, by nature, a non-committed relationship. It’s important to note, however, that some relationships have dates that aren’t public but are meaningful.

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You don’t have to be invited to some formal dinner with parents and extended relatives. If you make the suggestion about meeting their friends or that they should meet yours and it’s met with hostility, then there’s a good chance that something is up.

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You might feel butterflies at the beginning of a relationship, but you shouldn’t feel ridden with anxiety about whether they’ll respond to you or not.

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There’s a lack of date nights in non-committed relationships. A clear sign is that you don’t see someone much outside of the bedroom; the relationship is purely physical.

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No healthy relationship should be based on anxiety. When you’re in a healthy relationship with another person, you should feel safe and secure.

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Relationships are hard to define. It’s hard to know if the relationship is causing anxiety or if it’s a host of many other parts of your life (or theirs).

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If you’re seeing someone who isn’t committed enough to not see and date other people unless you agree that you’re both happy with a polyamorous relationship, then you probably have an issue.

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Finding out whether a person is willing to be exclusive with you in a committed relationship can save you a lot of pain and misery.

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Non-committed relationships are only a bad thing if they don’t feel right. For some people in certain periods of their lives, they’re perfect. A common example would be when people are in college/university or moving around a lot.

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Finally, if you’re struggling with being in a non-committed relationship and talking about it doesn’t help or make them more sensitive to the situation, your best route of action may be to distance yourself.

Sources: (Relish)

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While it can be argued that all relationships are based on convenience (same city, same friend group, etc.), non-committed relationships are always this way.

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It can be difficult in the beginning stages of a relationship to know exactly what it is. We don’t want to put a label on it too soon or put pressure on things. We’re all in different stages of life and looking for different things. Maybe it’s a short-term fling. Maybe you’re looking for something more serious. We run into problems when the individuals in a relationship are not in sync with what they’re looking for out of it. The worst of all is realizing that your partner just isn’t as committed as you are.

It’s often not so clear whether they’re ready to “take things seriously,” neither is it a very pleasant conversion to have. You might avoid the conversation altogether in fear of hearing something you don’t want to. With this in mind, we have outlined some of the signs that someone might show if they’re not committed to a relationship. Click on for more.