When splitting from a guy because of his actions, most of the time you just want to see the signs that a guy knows he messed up, right?
You don’t have to forgive him, and you certainly shouldn’t forget what he’s done, but he has to at least acknowledge what he did before you can both put it properly behind you.
The good news is that there are always signs that a guy realizes he messed up – even if he’s not willing to admit it.
Here are 11 signs that a guy knows he’s messed up, take a look and see how many apply to your ex!
11 Signs a Guy Knows He Messed Up
1. Friends Are Telling You He’s Asking About You
Your ex might not be able to tell you himself that he knows he messed up, but some of his or your shared friends will be able to.
If he’s been confiding in his friends that he knows he messed up, it’s likely they will pass on what he’s been saying to you.
Some of this information might be tactfully passed on, as a way of reaching you. Or it might just be concerned friends who care about you both.
2. He’s Not Trying to Move On
If your ex is clearly not trying to move on long after you have, it’s a strong sign that he’s still holding on to negative feelings about your breakup.
Not many breakups happen without bad feelings. But when one person finds it hard to move on, it usually means they’re taking the breakup hard and feel more responsible.
You can take this as a sign that he knows he messed up with you. It’s up to him to work this out and move on.
3. He Keeps Finding Excuses to Contact You
There are few things more uncomfortable than an ex constantly contacting you after you split up, especially if you’re trying to move on.
It’s usually a sign that they are aware that they hurt you and it was their fault that the relationship broke down.
It’s up to you how you deal with your ex’s attempts to contact you. But if his advances are unwanted, you need to make that clear.
Related – Here are some of the best things to say to an ex as last words.
4. He’s Not Making the Same Mistakes!
A lot of guys find it difficult to admit their mistakes and talk about them openly, especially directly to the person they’ve hurt.
One way of telling that a guy is aware that he’s messed up and wants to make amends, however, is by looking at his actions.
If he’s clearly changed his ways and behaviors that caused you guys to break up, it’s clear he knows it caused him to mess things up.
5. He’s Apologized for What He Did
A lot of guys will not go as far as to apologize when they mess up, or at least not be sincere and truly mean it (I know, I sound harsh).
So, if a guy does apologize to you and identify what he did to mess things up you can be sure he really is sorry.
It doesn’t mean you should forgive or forget, however, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
6. He’s Hiding the Fact That He Has a New Partner
There is usually a strong contrast between how a guy acts when he moves on from a relationship depending on how it ended.
If a guy is proud to have a new partner and deliberately flaunts it to an ex, it usually means he feels wronged by his previous relationship.
If a guy hides his new relationship, it’s more likely to mean that he feels bad about how his last relationship ended.
Related – Reasons why guys hide relationships on social media.
7. Now He’s Interested in Things You Enjoy Doing
When a guy realizes he messed up, he knows he can’t go back and change what’s happened, but he can start making changes going forward.
If part of the problem was not being attentive to what you liked and enjoyed, don’t be surprised if he starts liking the same things as you.
The only drawback is that it can get awkward seeing him join your yoga class or post on social media he now likes cheesy movies!
8. He Wants to Be “Good Friends”
If a guy caused the breakup of your relationship and wants to get back with you, you can expect him to try and at least stay good friends.
If he’s making an effort to be a friend, even if you’re moving on, he’s trying to leave that door open to work his way back into your heart.
If you look at the flip side, would he want to be friends if he didn’t realize or was not willing to admit that he’d done wrong?
9. He’s Clearly Worse off for Not Being With You
No one wants to see someone doing worse (I’m assuming you don’t) for splitting up, but it’s another sign that that person was the one that messed things up.
If the split was not your fault, as hard as it is, the best thing you can do is pick yourself up and make sure you do better for yourself.
Seeing your ex doing worse, being down or depressed, etc, is a sign that he regrets what’s happened.
10. He’s Embarrassed by What He Did
Another way to tell if a guy is aware that he messed things up is to see if he’s embarrassed about the situation.
If he’s in denial or has an ego about the situation and doesn’t feel bad or embarrassed, he clearly doesn’t know he’s messed up.
On the other hand, if you can tell he’s embarrassed by his actions or how things played out, he knows.
11. He’s Asked You to Get Back With Him
If your ex has asked you to get back with him it doesn’t necessarily mean he knows he’s messed up and is willing to make amends – but it’s your opportunity to ask him.
It certainly means that he regrets splitting up, so you would have to think he knows he’s responsible!
Image credits – Photo by Chirag Saini on Unsplash
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.