You know you're with the wrong person if...

You know you're with the wrong person if you find yourself behaving in ways that don't come naturally to you just so you can appease your partner.

In other words, you fundamentally change aspects of your personality and character just to secure the person's approval, which you're sure will translate into relationship bliss.

As I've suggested in earlier posts, there's always room for some flexibility and compromise, but you should not feel like a radically different person when you're with your significant other.

Perhaps you're not into spicy food, football, or museum hopping like your partner is, but you make the effort to partake in such activities because he or she enjoys them. At the same time, you might expect them to participate when it comes to your leisurely pursuits, whether fishing, painting, or watching National Geographic.

But let's say you're a quiet, introverted person by nature, and gradually you come to the realization that your girlfriend is the exact opposite: loud and obnoxious, with no filter.

She then tries to wheedle you into accompanying her to nightclubs and road trips with large groups of people so you can slowly adopt her lifestyle and become more like her.

Do you really think you'll be happy knowing that you're turning your back on your own principles?

Needless to say, if you have to go to such lengths to make a relationship work, it just is not meant to be.

When you're with the right person, you shouldn't feel forced to adapt your personality to complement that of your partner.

As you get to know him or her, you should get a sense whether the two of you have enough in common -- from your temperaments and hobbies to political views and plans for the future -- to form a long-lasting relationship.

That isn't to say that the two of you can't seem like exact opposites in the beginning and gradually build strong chemistry, leading to a wonderful (if unlikely) pairing. But such cases are the exception rather than the rule.

If you have to overexert yourself to be someone you know you're not, you're better off waiting for someone who will appreciate the real you. (Imagine meeting someone new who you know you truly click with, but you're stuck in a relationship with a person who isn't right for you.)

Whether your partner is gorgeous, well-connected, or rich, nothing can justify being involved with a person who demands an overhaul of your personality.

If you're happy with who you are, wait for the person who will covet you at your most authentic.

Don't change just to placate another person -- let alone one who refuses to change anything about themselves for you. And if you realize later that you're just too different, end the relationship rather than carry on the illusion that you're going to change who you are for them.

Life's too short to surround ourselves with the wrong people.

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