How do I know if she is the one?
Me 23M and my gf 21F have been dating for just under 2 years now. We moved in together at the beginning of the year (mostly out of convenience, I would prefer we have our own separate places but money decided otherwise) and things have been pretty good for the most part.
The problem is that I still am not sure if she’s “the one” and I feel really bad because I have been telling her she is recently. I think maybe I’m just trying to convince myself that she is by saying it out loud.
My thing is that I have always wanted to be with someone that can support themselves, and we aren’t dependent on each other. Currently, my person has no ambition for a career, and based off what I have seen, I fear that she may become dependent on me in the future.
I have talked to her about this before. She always agrees with me, but never adds much to the subject. I also feel like her actions show me otherwise. It could be a confirmation bias (i think thats the term) but what if it’s not? What if she’s just playing the long game?
I love her a lot and I truly do care for her, but I don’t want to be “the breadwinner”. I want to be with someone who is ambitious. When I think of my ideal partner, it’s someone who has their own life, and chooses to have me in it. That’s how I want to treat my partner also. I don’t want to become one life, but rather 2 separate lives on the same path if that makes sense.
Is this an okay mindset to have? What does it mean for me, people of the internet? How do I go about handling my doubts?
TL;DR
How do I figure out what my relationship will look like years from now?
Posted Jun 25, 2026, 6:45 AM UTC · locked