Future Faking
what it means
Talk of holidays, moving in, meeting family — all vivid, none scheduled. The specificity is what makes it effective and what marks it out.
Making detailed promises about a shared future with no intention of following through.
the origin story
Relationship and psychology vocabulary that spread through therapy-influenced online content around 2019-2021.
It's usually discussed alongside love bombing as part of the same pattern, and the two often appear together. The distinguishing test people are advised to apply is simple: do the plans ever acquire dates?
in the wild
He's described the wedding in detail and won't commit to Saturday.
Future faking.
How do I tell the difference?
Ask him to book something.
how to use it
- Describing hollow promises about the future
- Conversations about relationship patterns
- Discussing manipulation vocabulary
- About plans that fell through for real reasons
- As a casual accusation
- Professionally
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
keep scrolling
Glow-Down
The opposite of a glow-up — appearing to have declined rather than improved.
Slept On
Underrated — overlooked despite being genuinely good.
Hot Girl Summer
A season spent being confident, unbothered and out enjoying yourself.
Cheat Code
A trick or advantage that makes something much easier than it should be.