Basic Trope: A character doesn't want to settle down with a Love Interest.
- Straight: Bob doesn't want to tie the knot with Alice.
- Exaggerated: Bob goes mad and fearful of the thought of proposing to Alice on bended knee.
- Downplayed: Bob Cannot Spit It Out
- Justified:
- Bob feels that if he were to marry Alice, he would face similar issues his dysfunctional parents had experienced.
- Bob is a Celibate Hero; he doesn't like the idea of giving up his freedom for marrying a woman (and additionally, having children). Unfortunately for him, Alice has an unrequited love for him and doesn't want to end up upsetting her.
- Bob has unrequited feelings for another Love Interest that he can't shake.
- Bob has been led to believe (by media, by friends, by family) that marriage always results in an Awful Wedded Life scenario.
- Bob's heart was broken once, and he doesn't want to risk getting it broken again.
- Inverted: Alice has served Bob divorce papers, and Bob doesn't want to sign them.
- Subverted:
- Bob has no qualms about telling Alice he loves her, or even about moving in with her.
- It's not marrying Alice per se that bothers Bob, but rather being nervous about a public proposal.
- Double Subverted:
- But the thought of marriage scares him.
- Alice has mentioned that she would prefer a private proposal, but Bob still hasn't made any plans to ask her or bought a ring yet.
- Parodied: Bob doesn't even want to set a firm time for his next date with Alice.
- Zig Zagged: There are times where Bob is afraid of marriage, but there also times where he's excited about it.
- Averted:
- Bob has no issue with the thought of commitment.
- The topic of commitment is not brought up by the work.
- Enforced: The executives want to add drama for the Official Couple to increase viewership, so they demanded the writers to add a subplot dealing with Bob's fear of commitment despite little foreshadowing beforehand.
- Lampshaded: "Sounds like you're having a tough time deciding whether or not should you get married."
- Invoked: A renowned public speaker believes that marriage is risky, so they want to instill this idea to their audience, hoping they would think twice about commitment.
- Exploited: Bob's counsellor persuades Bob to follow his instinct — it's okay to fear commitment, and that Bob shouldn't force himself to do things he doesn't want.
- Defied: Bob's friends help Bob conquer the fear of marriage.
- Discussed:
- "Have you thought about marrying Alice one day?" "Uh... Well, I'm still thinking about it."
- "If Bob is so afraid of commitment, why don't he just quit angsting, ditch the idea of marriage, and move on?"
- Conversed: "Why can't the writers have Bob propose to Alice? Don't they know how it would please the shippers?" "For drama, of course. It's not the last episode yet."
- Deconstructed: To Bob's friends and relatives, this is a flaw that Bob ought to get over with; To Bob, there's nothing inherently wrong or shameful with being "afraid to commit" — he is perfectly content with loving Alice, but not being married to her. Alice may or may not believe the same.
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