In Defense of “Clingy”

I’ve never really understood the concept that clingy = bad. I’ve tried to, so hard, and I just don’t get why that’s such an issue for some people. If you’ve got boundary struggles or trauma around it, I respect that. I’m not a jerk. But for me personally? Nothing makes me feel better than a guy who can’t keep his hands off me.

I adore it when someone wants to be my backpack, wants to hang onto me, wants to cling. These aren’t flaws in my eyes. They’re qualities I find irresistible. They make me feel seen, wanted, chosen. And honestly? They make me want to cling right back. To be loved so deeply that I’m on his mind often enough that he has to reach for me while I’m reaching right back. That’s a beautiful fucking thing. You cannot convince me it’s not.

Why wouldn’t I want that? Why wouldn’t anyone want that? It’s probably the most adorable trait a partner can have. We need to stop equating closeness and affection with weakness.

Softness is not weakness. Wanting your partner nearby, needing them, craving them, is not weakness. Crying is not weakness. Emotion is not weakness. Expressing yourself fully and honestly is not weakness.

It’s what makes us human. It’s what makes us… well… us.

And if someone wants to cling to me? That doesn’t scare me. At all. In fact, that makes me melt.

© Dereck Pritchard, 2025. All Rights Reserved.