Is it common for cancer men

To go long periods of time without a relationship after they have been hurt? My boyfriend was single for 5 years before we started dating about 6 months ago. Before that he had only 2 girlfriends that lasted about a year a piece and was single for 4 years before that. Are cancer men OK with not being in a relationship? Are they usually picky about who they date?

I'd say the girl was pretty special to him. They also had a terrible falling out with angry messages and phone calls until he finally called it off. If it's true for cancers to move on after a break up like that, is it hard to resist the temptation to go back or does it eventually fade away? He still talks about her like they just broke up yesterday...makes me feel like he could never feel the same about me. How long could I possibly be compared to this other person?

Posted by MagicBananas
To go long periods of time without a relationship after they have been hurt? My boyfriend was single for 5 years before we started dating about 6 months ago. Before that he had only 2 girlfriends that lasted about a year a piece and was single for 4 years before that. Are cancer men OK with not being in a relationship? Are they usually picky about who they date?

it is common, yes, but I think of it as something to overcome for people of the sign. life is too short. cancers in general are picky about who they date, not just the men.

I'm kind of on the fence about this one. I have a male cancer friend who was in a long term live-in relationship for 3 years. They had a home, shared finances, family gatherings etc. When I asked about why they broke up he just said "it didnt work out". From time to time things will slip about the demise of their relationship but mostly its in the past so he doesnt talk about it. He's been single for about a year now. I agree about not dating someone who constantly talks about their ex. But then again, it could have a lot to do with your maturity level. When I was younger I would talk about the breakdown of a relationship but now I wouldnt. I also keep in mind that no matter when you broke up things were probably going south for a good period prior to cutting it off. My cancer friend is 38 and he's focused on the future and openly talks about wanting to get married in a couple of years so his ex is a thing of the past. For you, it could be therapy talking about his feelings. I guess that type of conversation depends on your comfort level. I personally wouldnt want to hear about it all the time, but then again you could gain some insight into his past which could help you in the future.

Thanks for the insight.

I can't help but wonder, since he hasn't had a long term relationship very often in his past, if I should be worried about him being able to maintain a long term relationship with me. He says he loves me and wants to marry me but the "red flags" of his past (hanging on to his ex girlfriend short term relationships) keep haunting me. How can I discuss these type of feelings with him without scaring him away or making him retreat into the shell?

Also the "talking about his ex-girlfriend" isn't directly to me. I just hear him refer to her all the time to his friends but I am always in ear-shot.