Does your partner really love you? New ‘orange peel theory’ sends TikTok into meltdown – and people are now BREAKING UP over it

Forget big gestures, the real sign of true love is the little things – like holding your bags, buying your groceries or calming your nerves.

And performing small acts of love that lighten your burden now has a name: the orange peel theory.

The theory started with a TikTok showing a conversation between two ex-partners from the US, reminiscing about the past. One of them said they miss how their former lover would peel an orange for them – a task they always make a mess of.

The app soon caught fire and others began sharing their stories of people showing them love in subtle but meaningful ways.

But the trend seems to have really taken hold for some, with people admitting they’ve broken up with their partners because they’re not being treated to these acts of love.

The video that started the trend shows a conversation over iMessage in which someone, who is clearly still in love with their ex, messages them to tell them they’ve gone to New York University, after which the couple starts making memories about completing the application and watching movies together.

“I miss it when you would peel my oranges for me in the morning,” the original messenger read. “Have you learned how to do that yet?” the ex asked.

This led to a painful conversation between the couple in which the original messenger admitted to still being in love with their ex.

“I miss it when you would peel my oranges for me in the morning,” the man wrote.

“Have you learned how to do it yet?” the ex replied.

“No, I still get juice from everything and stick my nails too deep,” was the response.

The ex replied, “You’ll find out one day,” and suggested they stop communicating.

The last slide shows how the original messenger texted their ex saying “I peeled my orange today.” But it was sent in a green speech bubble, which means they have been removed as an iMessage contact.

The sad conversation blew up on TikTok, with heartbroken people joining the conversation and others grateful to have someone who “still peels their oranges.”

One woman shared one montage of her and her husbandcaptioned: ‘The orange peel theory reminded me that I am more than capable of holding my own bags, calming my anxiety, pulling out my hair, opening my door, buying my own flowers, on my own to go shopping.

‘But he doesn’t have to, because he’d rather do it for me. He loves to love me.”

While another said: ‘I recently told my husband about the orange peel theory, without thinking much about it. My phone was dead, I’m not doing well and I was too tired to get my charger.

“I said I felt bad because I asked him to get it for me, and he turned around, looked at me and said ‘orange peel’ and went to get it without hesitation. I melted. Folks, learn more about the orange peel theory.”

But not everyone responded positively to this and many began to test the theory to see if their partner responded by doing the small task without a word or replying with something like, ‘Can’t you do that yourself?’.

This was the case before one person wrote: ‘I asked someone very dear to me to peel my orange for me and he did so, but with a deep sigh and rolled his eyes.

“So now I peel my own oranges in silence so as not to bother anyone.”

And the disappointment of not having someone to peel their oranges was so great for one 22 year old woman on Reddit that she actually broke up with her boyfriend.

The last slide of the video that started the trend shows the original text message from their ex saying “I peeled my orange today,” but it’s sent in a green speech bubble – meaning they’ve been deleted as iMessage- Contact

One person shared a montage of her and her husband and captioned it: ‘The orange peel theory reminded me that I am more than capable of holding my own bags, calming my anxiety, pulling out my hair, opening my door, to buy my own flowers. , go shopping alone. ‘But he doesn’t have to, because he’d rather do it for me. He loves to love me’

While another said: ‘I recently told my husband about the orange peel theory without thinking much about it. My phone was dead, I’m not doing well and I was too tired to grab my charger. “I said I felt bad because I asked him to get it for me, and he turned around, looked at me and said ‘orange peel’ and went to get it without hesitation. I melted.

“My boyfriend of seven months was sitting on the couch when I saw the TikTok video explaining the theory, and I decided I had to try it out,” she said. “We’ve been happy so far, but now that I look back on it, I’m not surprised by how he responded.”

She explained that she asked her boyfriend to tie her hair, and he wondered why she couldn’t do it herself. Later that day, she asked if he could throw a towel in the dryer for her so it was warm when she got out of the shower. He didn’t.

She concluded, “Our relationship isn’t going to end because my towel isn’t warm or my hair isn’t up, but because I realize that just settling for a lazy man who won’t take me out won’t help. dating his baby and has no motivation in life other than living with his parents, playing video games and drinking. While I benefit from what I do for him.

‘Being so new (seven months), I think these issues are a foreshadowing of things to come and I don’t see a future with him or his baby.’

In response to the backlash about considering ending a relationship based on TikTok, the woman further said, “I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was testing him like a crazy girlfriend trying to kill her boyfriend.” causes failure.

“I simply used the theory out of curiosity to see what he would do and came to the realization that I was giving 90 percent while he was giving 30 percent to the relationship. The theory has helped me take off my rose-colored glasses and really see how much I am doing, without an ounce of appreciation.’

“If my partner asked me to tie his shoes, I would get down on one knee because I feel like it’s a simple way to show love,” she added.