Reasons Guys Shy Away From Commitment

Children have different types of relationships with their parents. If parents abuse or ignore children, they don't develop the close bonds that exist in other families, write psychologists Jeanne Seagal and Jaelline Jaffe in their article “Attachment and Adult Relationships” on HelpGuide.org. One reason guys may shy away from commitment is because their inability to trust others can make depending on someone else terrifying.

Researchers found a possible genetic explanation for why some guys are better able to commit to women than others, writes psychologist Nigel Barber in the Psychology Today article, "Monogamy is social - not sexual." Researchers have isolated a gene that affects a man’s ability to emotionally bond with a woman. Guys with double the amount of this gene have more troubled relationships than guys without the extra gene.

Research has shown that current relationships are also affected by past experiences, writes journalist Judith Kelliher for the MassLive.com article, "Mount Holyoke professor Katherine Haydon finds romantic relationships influenced by early connections with parents, peers and friends." Bad past relationships tend to have negative impacts on current relationships. In teens, the hook-up culture involves casual sex with no commitment. This pattern has the potential to set young people up for difficulties later when they want to have a committed relationship. Your guy could be shying away from commitment because he doesn’t know how to do it successfully.

Consider that single women commit to buying homes more frequently than single men. Young, single men report not wanting to buy because they view home buying as a threat to their independence, according to writer Stephanie Rosenbloom in The New York Times article, "For Men, a Fear of Commitment." Women view home buying as increasing independence and security. Similarly, women may view relationships as opportunities for security and growth, while men may view them as stifling. Some guys fear that commitment will take something from them that they will never be able to get back.