What Is a Beige Flag And Why Exactly Does It Matter?

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Many dating terms can seem confusing if you’re trying to steer clear of the romance scene for a bit. If you’re considering jumping back in the swing of things, you may just find yourself questioning what is a beige flag and why it matters. 

The beige flag term joins different dating trends like masturdating and marriage language. For reference, masturdating refers to dating oneself, while marriage language refers to the little quips that a long-term couple shares with one another.

What Is a Beige Flag?

A beige flag is a behavior or habit that makes you look at a person in a different light. Imagine when you’re on the first date with someone and they share a specific fact about themselves. The new information doesn’t particularly excite you or scare you off. Instead, it makes you go “oh” in the most neutral way possible. You’ve likely spotted a beige flag. 

A beige flag can encompass quite a few things, but here are some of the most common indicators:

• A bland character: The beige flag term originated in 2022 when TikTok users started sharing excerpts they’d find on dating app profiles and conversations that seemed dull. People would call out generic activities like going on a walk as a telltale sign of a boring person. There’s also a lack of enthusiasm to have a proper conversation.

• An odd characteristic: As beige flags started to catch on, some people viewed it as an opportunity to share certain odd characteristics. For example, not knowing how to do a high-five or always bringing up bird-watching in conversation.

• A unique quirk: A beige flag may also be classified as a quirk that sets a love interest apart from others. Think of chaotic good actions like building up dozens of Lego sets each month or endlessly baking banana bread in your home.

• A humble brag: While a humble brag is a less popular version of a beige flag, some people may subscribe to this definition. For instance, bringing up compliments when socially awkward or making a card to celebrate each occasion.

Why Do Beige Flags Matter?

The main reason why beige flags matter is because they are a part of a potential love interest. Beige flags aren’t precisely gold mines of emotional habits, nor are they dealbreakers about someone. However, a beige flag will still tell you something about someone.

If you like that particular individual, make it a point to learn about their beige flags. About 54% of Americans use dating apps to find an exclusive romantic partner. And the reality is that you can’t get to date someone if you don’t try to get to know them.

How Beige Flags Differ to Other Relationship Flags

Everyone may fight over the exact connotation of a beige flag in dating. However, one of the quickest ways to describe a beige flag is that it is neither a green nor a red flag. It can’t be categorized under the rare yellow flag, either. 

Here’s some insight about those relationship flags:

• Green flag: A green flag is a positive trait that makes you view another person as a keeper. It can be wholesome actions like opening the door for you or getting trinkets when they travel. However, green flags will encompass key characteristics of managing a relationship. Think good communication skills and being thoughtful.

• Yellow flag: A yellow flag refers to certain attributes that trigger second-guessing. In terms of a traffic light, a yellow flag calls for a pause and reassessment. For example, maybe they’re not really close with their family. This fact can morph into future emotional unavailability, which can be a particular concern in romantic relationships.

• Red flag: A red flag means bad signs that a person is not relationship material or that they’re bad news. For instance, about 73% of couples managing a home together find finances a touchy subject. If they make sudden and unusual purchases under both of your names, it may be time to call it quits.

Should You Look Out for Beige Flags?

There’s some gray area in whether or not you want to actively look out for beige flags. Unlike yellow or red flags, there’s little sense of urgency since these are also minor, harmless quirks. That said, a beige flag can also be considered an indicator of incompatibility.

The reason that an odd behavior or habit is sticking out to you as you get to know someone is rooted somewhere. It may come from a place of feeling bothered. It may come from utter confusion. These feelings are entirely fair, as all relationship flags are just a mix of traits about a person that you can deem good, bad or neutral.

Rather than explicitly looking out for beige flags, practice being a good judge of character. Look at a person’s characteristics before adding them to these boxes with labels. An objective point of view can make your future relationships much healthier.

How to Deal with Beige Flags

When you come across a beige flag in a dating profile, you can either stay optimistic and swipe right or shrug it off and swipe left. But if these weird-like characteristics start appearing while dating in real life, that can be a different story.

In essence, people don’t have to keep track of a beige flag and make a decision about it. But if you notice a particular fact, figure out how you feel about it first. If you feel a little put-off, it can help to communicate about these things with another person. 

Plus, you can view bringing up a beige flag as a small test of character. If that person just takes the comment nonchalantly and laughs it off, good. If they smile sheepishly and say they’ll work on it, better. You may have just found your next significant other. 

Come to Terms with Beige Flags

Every person has their beige flags. No matter how hard some people may try, certain traits that they possess can come across as neutral or bland to some other people. And while some people still can’t tell what exactly is a beige flag, everyone can agree to accept them as a part of being human. Get to know people before you commit to a relationship with them.