16 Undeniable Signs Your Cancer Man Is Playing You

The signs a Cancer man is playing you aren’t always that easy to spot and this is especially because Cancer men are usually very hard to read.

They make things very tricky for you and, without even realizing it, they will lead you into a trap.

Even if you think that the men who play the most games are men born under a fire sign or men with commitment issues born under an air sign, Cancer can also be very heartless.

Let’s be honest, any man born under any sign can be a player if he wants to be. The difference is that a Cancer man is a bit harder to catch in his antics, as he can present himself as the most loving and caring creature.

We have this misconception that Cancer can’t do anything wrong and they’re always perceived as loving and nurturing.

However, a Cancer man, like any other, can be very manipulative and bad for you if his intentions aren’t pure.

The signs a Cancer man is playing you aren’t the most obvious, but they are very easy to spot when you know what to look for.

Common traits of a Cancer man

Cancer is a water sign, ruled by the moon, which is what makes them so emotional.

It’s in their chart and it’s obvious whenever you meet a Cancer how empathetic and emotional they are.

When you’re an earth or air sign, sometimes it’s overwhelming to see someone this sensitive. It’s refreshing as well as unusual.

This isn’t just someone who cries when a puppy dies in a movie, no. This is someone who will empathize with you whenever you’re going through something bad.

A man like this is very rare but he is like this because of the phases of the moon that create fleeting emotional patterns that are beyond a Cancer’s control.

If they find themselves in a situation where their love isn’t returned or they feel a lack of patience or affection from someone they care deeply about, it will manifest itself over time.

These bad experiences can make a Cancer man build walls around his heart because he knows it’s fragile.

This sign is extremely gentle and caring and commits quite easily, because family always comes first for Cancer.

However, if a Cancer has been hurt or if he has experienced any type of trauma, he will turn to manipulation and toxic behavior.

The signs a Cancer man is playing you are very rare and you might want to keep a very close eye on him if you really want to catch him.

One of the weaknesses that Cancer men have that lead to this type of behavior is that they are very sensitive, so they end up being very insecure and pessimistic.

The signs a Cancer man is playing you

Now that we have introduced you to the basic traits of a Cancer man, it’s time to look for the signs of whether a Cancer man is playing you or not.

Does he actually care about you? Is he just toying with your emotions and will he end up breaking your heart?

All of these questions are very valid and you have come to the right place to get them answered.

As it is very hard to read a Cancer man who is playing you, you need to keep an eye out for these signs at all times.

1. He doesn’t communicate his feelings

A sign he might be playing you is if he doesn’t communicate his feelings clearly.

For example, if you have been dating for a while now and he still refuses to talk to you about his emotions, he could be toying with you.

Cancer is always open about their feelings, once they start trusting you enough. That’s why it’s such a red flag if he hides them.

You might even be able to read his emotions from his facial expressions and the energy you feel, but he will never admit to them.

He doesn’t trust you enough to tell you how he feels or what he’s going through because he doesn’t want to commit to you.

Feelings mean more than anything to a Cancer, so if he is hiding them from you or not communicating them to you, it’s a big sign for you to run.

2. He doesn’t talk to you about future plans

More often than not, Cancer men date with the intention of committing to that person forever.

However, if you have come to the conclusion that your man doesn’t make any plans for your future together, he is playing with you.

This is especially one of the signs that show that a Cancer man is playing you because they don’t often just casually date.

It becomes very obvious when he says things like, “What if we break up?” or, “You will find someone better,” as he is insinuating that you two will split up eventually.

One of the biggest signs a Cancer man is playing you is when he’s very pessimistic about your relationship in general.

3. You’re always the one planning dates

It’s not just about the dates, it’s about the amount of effort someone puts into the relationship.

It’s a problem when you are always the one texting him to figure out when you’ll be going out.

If it was up to him, he would just come over to your place, spend the night and then go back home.

This should be a very big red flag, but he makes you believe that you’re extremely special to him despite his behavior.

You might have even heard him use the excuse that he just isn’t someone who goes out much.

Yes, it is true that a Cancer man is more of a homebody than anything, but he would do anything for the woman he loves.

4. He doesn’t include you when he makes decisions

When you’re in a relationship, you expect your partner to include you when he makes important decisions.

This is also the case when you’ve just started dating someone. You wouldn’t want someone you’re dating to just disappear on you because they got a new job across the country without asking you for your opinion.

You want to be involved in the decisions he makes, because you would ask him for his opinions as well.

This is completely normal for a couple who want to create a future together. That’s why being uninvolved in his decision-making is one of the signs a Cancer man is playing you.

If his intentions with you were genuine, he would always take you into consideration.

5. He seems emotionless

You have probably heard from your friends that a Cancer man isn’t afraid to cry in front of the woman he loves.

People have told you that a Cancer man is sensitive and that you can always sense their emotions.

However, your Cancer man isn’t like that. He seems to be completely distant in front of you and even when you have a problem, he doesn’t seem to care.

Even when you are trying to joke around, he has a poker face. Of course, this is extremely odd for anyone, not just for a Cancer man.

However, one of the signs a Cancer man is playing you is when he conceals his emotions.

6. He ignores your boundaries

People who are born under the sign of Cancer are extremely considerate.

When you are one of the priorities in their life, they will respect you and you will always know that.

That’s why it’s such a huge red flag when a Cancer man doesn’t respect your boundaries.

Anyone who doesn’t respect your boundaries doesn’t respect you as a person.

A Cancer man who has pure intentions with you will always ask what your boundaries are and respect them. There simply isn’t another option.

If he chooses to ignore your boundaries, he is playing you.

7. He avoids being affectionate

You can even see him holding himself back from being affectionate. For example, when he holds your hand and then lets go all of a sudden.

Or another example could be if he hugs you in front of other people and then you see him abruptly pulling away.

You don’t even hear him say anything sweet or loving. It always looks like he’s holding himself back.

He isn’t affectionate because he’s playing you. The Cancer in him is begging him to be affectionate and that’s why you’ll catch him doing that sometimes.

However, something is keeping him from letting go. Cancers are known for being extremely loving and caring, so what’s wrong?

It’s one of the obvious signs a Cancer man is playing you.

8. Everything turns into a fight

Debating whether you’re going to eat out or order food at home or talking about what movie to watch, somehow, each little thing turns into a fight.

A Cancer man isn’t that great when it comes to not holding back emotions, but when he tries, they will overflow at some point.

If he gets frustrated by the smallest things, he probably doesn’t want to be in that situation at all.

Cancers are usually very patient so when they fight over meaningless little things, something is going on.

The signs a Cancer man is playing you include him being confrontational about the smallest, most minuscule things.

When a Cancer man really wants to be with you, he will talk things through and he will listen intently to what you have to say.

He won’t pick a fight just because he didn’t like the movie you chose for that night.

A Cancer man who is playing you will find any excuse to release some of the tension that has built up in him.

This includes the tension he is feeling because he isn’t genuine about his intentions with you.

9. He doesn’t include you in family activities

You must have heard by now that people born under the sign of Cancer date with the intention of marrying that person one day.

That’s why they tend to include their partner in all types of family activities. You will meet a Cancer’s family in a matter of months if the two of you are dating.

On the other hand, when you are looking for the signs a Cancer man is playing you, one of them will most certainly be that he doesn’t include you in family activities.

He is trying to keep you out of his life as much as possible. A man who doesn’t want to commit to you doesn’t want the hassle.

If he’s playing you, he might introduce you to some of his family members, but even if you’re invited to events, he won’t be happy about you going.

He will do whatever is in his power to keep you as far away from his family as possible.

10. He will project his insecurities onto you

Someone who is born under the sign of Cancer is very sensitive and they can be extremely insecure.

However, that doesn’t mean that they will go around accusing you of cheating or breaking up with them.

Water signs in general are master manipulators. That’s why when a Cancer man is playing you, he will use his insecurities to manipulate you.

For example, he will project them onto you by saying that you are cheating on him when you aren’t or he will accuse you of trying to find someone better than him.

Believe me when I tell you that it won’t matter how many times you reassure him, he will still continue.

This is because emotional manipulation is a Cancer’s specialty if he’s playing with you.

When a Cancer man truly loves you, he will know his place in your life and he will know that he can trust you.

If he does accuse you of infidelity or anything similar to that, that is just a projection of his own insecurities, which he is probably using as a method of manipulation.

11. He will give you the silent treatment

Out of fear that he will say something bad to you, more often than not, he will opt for the silent treatment.

When I say ‘say something bad to you’, I don’t mean that he might insult you, no. I mean that he might tell you his true intentions without that being what he wanted.

He will use silent treatment that only toddlers would use.

Even if he’s emotional, a Cancer man simply will not put himself in a situation where he causes pain to someone he loves.

That’s why one of the most obvious signs a Cancer man is playing you is when he’s giving you the silent treatment over literally the smallest things.

You shouldn’t tolerate such manipulative behavior from anyone.

12. He ignores your feelings

Another one of the obvious signs a Cancer man is playing you is when he’s ignoring your feelings.

Yes, Cancer men do expect you to deal with their emotional baggage and their sensitivity.

They will expect you to always take their emotions into consideration when you’re talking or doing something.

Even then, a Cancer man will take your feelings into account when he’s doing something.

He is never selfish. He will always be there for you and ask how you’re feeling.

However, the problem starts when he gets detached from the relationship altogether.

That’s when he’ll start saying things that hurt you or doing things that make you feel bad.

He knows all the buttons he has to push to get a reaction out of you and he doesn’t hesitate to use that knowledge.

Even if you try to confront him about it, he just says that you must be too sensitive, and hearing this from a sensitive Cancer sounds even more ridiculous.

He’s really toying with you if he’s ignoring your emotions!

13. He has become passive-aggressive

“What’s wrong?”

“You know exactly what’s wrong!”

Now that isn’t the healthiest dynamic people can have in a relationship.

Being passive-aggressive toward your partner is a manipulation tactic that Cancer men use in order to get what they want without having to be too vulnerable.

However, when a man is truly into you and he really likes you, he won’t treat you like this.

We all know that men in general have a very hard time communicating their feelings, but someone who’s into you will try for your sake.

When this happens, it’s really one of the signs a Cancer man is playing you.

Being passive-aggressive toward your partner is extremely bad for their mental health. It’s manipulative and toxic.

14. You catch him lying

One of the telltale signs a Cancer man is playing you is if you catch him in a lie.

A Cancer man won’t lie to you without being aware of the consequences his actions hold.

He knows that it might cause you to lose all your trust in him.

However, he chooses to lie because the truth isn’t the best option he has for the things he does.

Those lies might be small or big, but lies are still lies, and there is no excuse for these actions.

He really is playing with you and your emotions this way.

He doesn’t think that you are going to find out and probably gets upset with you when you call him out on a lie he told you.

15. He takes you for granted

He acts like you’re the one who needs him so he doesn’t have to try too hard, because you’re already his to begin with.

When a Cancer man is in love with you and his intentions are pure, you won’t have this problem.

Yes, a loving and caring Cancer man is going to move mountains just to impress you.

However, when he’s playing with you, he’ll do anything he can to impress you when he first meets you but he will stop once he’s captured your heart.

That’s when he’ll start thinking that you need him more than he needs you. He will stop putting in effort all at once.

It will be very obvious even if it’s gradual, because in the beginning, he will shower you with attention, affection, and gifts.

Over time, however, he will just stop.

16. He doesn’t spend much time with you (anymore)

A Cancer man hates long-distance relationships or any type of relationship where he isn’t able to see his partner often.

It is a big deal to him if he stops spending as much time with you as he did previously.

If it can be considered a sign that he is playing with you then that’s because he gave you everything at the beginning of the relationship and then he just stopped.

He always has an excuse as to why he can’t spend time with you. Mostly, he uses the excuse that he’s tired because of work or he’s going out with his friends.

Even when you hang out, he still seems extremely lost in his thoughts. You can even see that he is only initiating intimate time with you and he doesn’t talk about himself as much anymore.

This is a huge sign that a Cancer man is playing you. Why? Well, because if a Cancer man loves you, he won’t want to leave your side.

It’s also very logical for him to spend more quality time together than it is for him to just always initiate something more intimate.

Conclusion

Your love for this man doesn’t have to make you blind to the fact that he is playing you if you do see these signs.

If you see the signs a Cancer man is playing you, you probably realized it a long time ago and you just needed confirmation.

You deserve so much better than a man who toys with you and your emotions.

It doesn’t matter how loving or caring you perceive this Cancer man to be, he is still playing with you and you should know that you and your heart are not toys for boys to play with.

Don’t let him break your heart.

If he was a real man, he wouldn’t do this to you, he would love you the way you deserve. You need to remember that whenever you feel like someone is manipulating you or playing you.

You will see these signs very clearly when you know what to look for, so I really hope that this little list of them helped you see them.