No one is perfect and that includes your partner, but how they take responsibility when they hurt you is very paramount. Can you say he feels sorry truly for hurting you, does he regret his actions, does he feel guilty? These are the questions that matter a lot. And in this article we have highlighted some signs he feels guilty for hurting you.
The thing is that some men may not show you that they feel sorry verbally, but there are certain things they will do that proves to you that they regret their actions and all that they have done that hurts you. Those are the signs he feels guilty for hurting you as his partner. So, if you are looking for some clue that shows your man is sorry for the hurt, then read through to the end.
16 Signs He Feels Guilty for Hurting You
1. He is More Quiet than usual
After a fight or issue that got one hurt, communication will reduce. If he is more quiet than usual, then it is a sign that he is feeling guilty. He will not only reduce the conversation between you and him but also with your mutual friends.
Still, he will go on with his social life but just that he will be putting on an act of having a nice time. Guys do not show their feelings in public but when you stare closely you will be able to discern that their smiles and laughs are not real. Guilt and regret are preventing him from completely enjoying himself.
[Also Read: What to Do When Your Boyfriend Is Mad At You]
2. Checks Up on You the More
Is he more concerned and as such continuously puts calls and sends text messages across just to make sure you are alright? And this is happening after the event that led to your hurt. Then, it is one of the signs he feels guilty for hurting you. It shows he regrets his actions and that he cares and is willing to make you come out of the hurt feelings.
Sometimes, he may decide to reach out to your close friends or siblings to inquire your wellbeing especially if you wouldn’t take his calls or messages. It is evident he has realized his mistakes and feels truly sorry.
3. Says he will change his ways
If he has been acknowledging his faults genuinely, he may have done some soul-searching and admitted that he has to change. He may want you to notice that he realizes how his actions have affected you, and he is dissatisfied with himself or disappointed about how he acted or what he said. Furthermore, he may endeavor to prove to you that he has grown, or he is trying to be better in his behavior.
4. He Tries to change for you
If he makes effort to change his ways for better because of you other than making word promises, then, he is really sorry for hurting you. Sometimes people are battling one form of behavior or the other that hurts their partner, but with constant effort and willingness they are trying to get better, it shows that they are really sorry for hurting you with those behaviors. So, once you notice that all of a sudden he takes into considerations all your complaints and works to get better it is one the signs he feels sorry for hurting and of course working to be a better person for you both to be happy.
5. Looks for ways to talk to you
If he is always looking for ways to talk to you, then he is possibly guilt-ridden at the moment. He regrets hurting you and despite struggling to stay away from you, he is helpless on how to control his urges, and so the constant calls and texts he gives you.
Perhaps, he believes that discussing with you will relief you of the hurt and also make him feel better. Not only that, but he is quick to reply your messages after a fight. This is his way of saying that even after the issues, you are still special to him.
6. Tries to make you laugh
He knows that you are very sad with the event that happened, and all he can do is bring back the happiness in your life again. So does he try to make you smile by cracking jokes, even trying to make you happy by preparing your best meal? Does he go out of his way to bring you back to your energetic and joyous self? These are signs that he regrets hurting you.
[Also Read: What to Do When a Guy Says He Loves You Too Soon]
7. Apologizes for hurting you
If he apologizes to you, then he feels sorry for hurting you. At first, he might not apologize for a while but eventually, he will open up to you and tell his true feelings to you. He probably regrets what he has done and wants you to forgive him. This is one of the good and obvious signs he feels guilty for hurting you.
8. Wants you back
It is usual for people who initiated the break-up or fight to feel guilt. Feelings for one another do not fade away as fast as possible even after a breakup. The individual who initiates the break-up feels like they owe it to the other person to resolve things.
If he feels guilty for hurting you he will feel sorry for his actions and want to fix things out between you both. Occasionally his ways of fixing things will be by making efforts to get you back. Feeling guilt for hurting you is one of the awful things he feels at the moment and that is why he wants to win you back.
He is feeling guilty because he still loves you and cannot accept the fact that you will not be his partner anymore.
9. Being More Nice to you than before
It is normal to be too nice to someone you hurt because you are feeling guilty about what you have done or said. You are being way kinder and more nice than normal.
When he does good things that he does not do before, then he is sorry for hurting you. He will offer to do you little favors, goes out of his way to help you, or he may be more generous than before. It is an indication that he is making more efforts which reveals that he is apologetic for whatever he has done.
10. Tries to make it up to you
How he tries to make it up to you will most probably depend on whatever he did or said to hurt you in the first instance. This might come in the form of vows and statements, or he might make gestures like inquiring if he can take you out for dinner or buying you presents, like flowers. When your partner tries to make up for the hurt they put you through, it is one of the signs he feels guilty for hurting you
11. Tries to stalk
Guilt does funny things to one, your partner who feels guilty for hurting you could turn to a stalker. Whether it is a mutual friend’s occasion or any club where he knows that you do go, he will find a way to get there. This implies that he is guilty of hurting you. [Read: How to Walk Away from Being a Side Chick]
12. Avoids you
Even when he finds a way to talk to you, sometimes he might feel so remorseful that he cannot face you. He does not know what to say to you, so he avoids you. Or he may be feeling so regretful of his actions that he cannot face you.
You might notice that he does not pick your calls or reply to your texts. Or that he is not available for you both to meet. If he is deliberately avoiding you, then it could be he is sorry for the wrong doings.
13. Admits what he has done
One of the most noticeable signs he feels guilty for hurting you is when he can acknowledge that he was wrong. It is very susceptible to be defensive when we are at fault. We do not easily admit our faults. Before we can admit to our wrong deeds it takes realization and self-awareness to reflect on what we have done.
If he shows you that he truly does realize his mistakes, then he has certainly been thinking about it all. He is sorry if he swallows his pride, and owns up to his mistakes.
14. Genuinely apologizes
There is a big difference between a genuine apology and just saying you are sorry. The fact is that you will possibly be able to know deep down whether he truly means it or not. If he is really feeling guilty for hurting you, he will show sincerity.
His apology will be about more than just getting you off his back or aiming to quickly settle an argument. He will give you reassurance and try to confirm his words through his actions too.
Apologies that are not genuine have either being rehearsed or tendered overconfidently. With genuine apologies, it will most likely be nervous for the person giving it, so he may appear more modest or show signs of remorse.
15. Expresses his feelings
If he is apologetic, he will admit to hurting you and wants to fix things, you may discover he is being expressive to you more. This is significant particularly if he is the type that finds it difficult to discuss his feelings.
If he feels remorseful for hurting you, he could be taking more of a step to demonstrate and express how he feels. Communication is a vital part that makes relationships work. If you sense that he is striving harder to communicate with you, it is an indication that he is feeling remorseful.
16. More compromising than before
If he has hurt you, and he realizes it, he might now concur to things he would never have agreed to before. Perhaps he had been stubbornly declining to go someplace that you had been wishing to go for a while, and suddenly, he is agreeing to go there.
Maybe he has become more interested in doing stuff he never seemed to prefer before like visiting your family. If he is being more welcoming, less greedy and clearly trying to agree almost to everything you do, it could be because he is feeling guilty for hurting you.
Other signs he is feeling guilty for hurting you are:
1. Speaks well of you to people
If you heard from friends and neighbors that your partner or ex is speaking about how great you are after a fight. Or if he often speaks highly of you whenever you come into a discussion. Or if he paints you in a great light and never lets out negative things about you then it is clearly an indication that he feels guilty for hurting you.
2. He shows he is too happy
If he shows to be extremely happy, it is fake, and he regrets hurting you. He will make a great show to everyone about how much he appreciates being single again. He will post on his social media handles and share posts about the benefits of his new single life. When you meet with him, he will smile at you and chat as if nothing ever transpired between you both.
This joy will be so extreme that it will be clear for you to see through it and know how unreal it is. If someone inquires about the breakup, he might discuss it for a few minutes and then change the topic to something happier because he has not completely accepted how much remorse and regret he feels.
[Also Read: Signs Your Boyfriend Like His Female Friend]
3. He is honest
It is always believed that guys are not too explicit or honest with their emotions and feelings. But if he is being totally honest with you and is out rightly telling you what he did was wrong and how he feels about it, then it is a sign of his remorse and regret.
4. Says you are too good for him.
Mostly, cheaters do say this after realizing that they have hurt you. Before discovering that he is cheating, he will say you are too decent for him, he does not merit you, and how did he get so fortunate to have you. If he is genuine with his words, then this is a sign he feels guilty for hurting you.
