Am I overthinking incompatibilities, or are these valid reasons to walk away?

I’m looking for some objective outside perspective because I think I’ve been in my own head about this a lot.

I’ve been getting to know someone I’ve actually known for years (since high school, we were best friends, we're both 30 now, had our own lives and then recently(since Feb) reconnected) , and there is a lot that I really, really like about him. We have quite a deep emotional connection, we communicate well, I feel comfortable being myself around him, there’s affection and chemistry, and he’s genuinely kind and thoughtful. He makes me think, reflect and challenge myself, which I really value.

But the more I get to know him, the more I’m noticing little things that I’m struggling to figure out whether I’m being overly critical about or whether they’re actually telling me something about our compatibility.

His home is quite untidy. His kitchen and bathroom haven't been particularly clean when I've been there, clothes lying around etc. He also smokes weed, which I didn't expect to bother me as much as it does, especially when I’m in his space and there’s a smell of it or the stuff is lying around.

He doesn't have a car, which isn't inherently a problem, but I’m starting to wonder how that would work practically if we were actually dating and wanted to go places and do things together. I also don't know if we have enough of the fun, spontaneous, “let's go do something” side of a relationship yet.

There are other little things too , his grooming, certain ways he speaks that irrationally irritate me 😂 and then there’s the sexual side. He’s struggled to maintain "things" twice. I know he gets nervous and I don't judge him for it at all, but I also have to be honest that it has started making me question our sexual compatibility.

And this is the part I’m struggling with:

None of these things individually feel like they should be enough to walk away from someone I otherwise really like.

But when I put them all together, I find myself wondering whether I’m slowly realising that we might not actually be compatible in the ways that matter for everyday life.

I think I’m also trying to separate “I really like this person” from “I actually want to build a life with this person.”

I don't think he's doing anything "wrong". That's what makes this difficult. He's a lovely person and there are genuinely things about him that I admire.

So I suppose I'm asking: Would you give this more time and allow yourself to experience the relationship before deciding, or would you take these feelings seriously now?

Am I overthinking perfectly workable differences, or are these the kinds of things that become much bigger once you're actually building a life together?

Please be kind... I'm genuinely trying to look at this objectively and not just find people to agree with me.

Posted Aug 11, 2026, 11:19 AM UTC

525
Loading comments…