Cushioning: 10 Signs You’re Guilty Of This Dating Practice

No one could dispute that online dating and apps like Tinder have given single people more choice than ever before.

But having lots of choice can mean it is harder to settle, instead you keep all your cards in play, with a reliable standby for when the risky options fall through.

Sound familiar? You may be ‘cushioning’ – the latest term for a practice where people keep potential partners waiting in the wings to act as a cushion, to soften the blow of rejection elsewhere.

Here are 10 signs you’re totally guilty of cushioning.

1. You are low-key addicted to attention.

2. You start a new conversation if one person takes longer than 30 seconds to reply.

3. You give all your partners nicknames so you can keep track.

4. You have become a master of running simultaneous sexting conversations.

5. You can never imagine not having a back-up option.

6. You don’t burn bridges because you might need them again.

7. You won’t put all your eggs in one basket.

8. You have been known to use the phrase ‘on the back-burner’.

9. You see other people as insurance policies.

10. You consider romantic rejection completely inevitable.