Much like leaving a trail of crumbs for a bird to follow, breadcrumbing in dating is similar, where a person leaves a trail of crumbs — in the form of attention or affection — for you to follow. The gestures are small and insincere because the breadcrumber senses that you have an interest, but has no intention of ever letting things progress into a relationship. However, they like the attention, so they continue to lead you on to keep you hooked and interested.
Doesn’t it sound so frustrating? It’s hard for you to gauge where you stand with them, as they keep giving you just enough attention to keep you hoping that something more will develop, but they never actually make a move to take your relationship to the next level.
If you think you’re being breadcrumbed, we’ve listed some signs to look out for, and what you should do if you’re in this situation.