Welcome to /r/relationship_advice. Please make sure you read our rules here. We'd like to take this time to remind users that:

• We do not allow any type of am I the asshole? or situations/content involving minors

• Any sort of namecalling, insults,etc will result in the comment being removed and the user being banned. (Including but not limited to: slut, bitch, whore, for the streets, etc. It does not matter to whom you are referring.)

• ALL advice given must be good, ethical advice. Joke advice or advice that is conspiratorial or just plain terrible will be removed, and users my be subject to a ban.

• No referencing hateful subreddits and/or their rhetoric. Examples include, but is not limited to: red/blue/black/purplepill, PUA, FDS, MGTOW, etc. This includes, but is not limited to, referring to people as alpha/beta, calling yourself or users "friend-zoned", referring to people as Chads, Tyrones, or Staceys, pick-me's, or pornsick. Any infractions of this rule will result in a ban. This is not an all-inclusive list.

• All bans in this subreddit are permanent. You don't get a free pass.

• What we cannot give advice on: rants, unsolicited advice, medical conditions/advice, mental illness, letters to an ex, "body counts" or number of sexual partners, legal problems, financial problems, situations involving minors, and/or abuse (violence, sexual, emotional etc). All of these will be removed and locked. This is not an all-inclusive list.

If you have any questions, please send us a modmail.

#This is an automatic comment that appears on all posts. This comment does not necessarily mean your post violates any rules.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

So he can dish it but can't take it. How do you not see that, that means he does mean the things he calls you? Those aren't "jokes". If they were he would understand you joking back. But he doesn't.

I'm sorry because he at least partially means all of the jokes he makes. It sounds like he at least has some narcissistic tendencies too. I'd be careful with him.

Does he ever make self-deprecating jokes? If he does, then I could be a bit wrong on my assessment. Just be careful either way because it seems like something trivial but I personally feel it is indicative of bigger personality issues with him and of a lack of respect for you that may be more deep-seated than you realize.

I hate to think it’s true but maybe he does somehow harbor some ill will towards me.

Sadly I’ve wondered the same but he’s generally very caring, kind and considerate. This literally came out of nowhere because we joke with each other all the time. I was completely caught off guard y his response.

It is also possible that he has serious self confidence issues he is hiding. Sometimes people try to tear down others because they feel inferior. Either way, I think he at least partially means the jokes.

Does he shows signs of serious self confidence issues in any other way? Has he had a traumatic past? Have you expanded on his claims that you are being combative/tit-for-tat at all? Meaning: have he given you any kind of reasonable explanation as to why he thinks you doing the same thing he is doing is combative/tit-for-tat or do you typically just say you aren't being that way and it gets dropped?

Maybe but he projects as extremely confident. Arrogant actually. He has had a traumatic past and I’ve seen him react in a volatile way to some situations but never towards me. By what he’s claiming as me being combative I’m viewing as me contradicting him or me pointing out that when he does something it’s ok but when I do it it’s a problem. I feel like I can’t win because when I’m standing up for myself I’m labeled as combative.