You've just broken up and are painfully recovering, but your ex wasted no time and found something better than a tub of ice cream to console themselves. While you're trying to adjust to single life, they're living happily ever after with their new partner. Whether it's a rebound relationship or genuine feelings, a provocation or an unexpected whirlwind romance, many try to reassure themselves with the "taxi driver" theory.<\/p>\n
You've left your partner and you no longer recognize the man you knew for years. This man, indecisive, commitment-phobic<\/a> , immature, and lacking direction, is suddenly proactive, invested, and demonstrative with the woman who replaced you. While with you, he took months to take things to the next level, now he's living his romance at full speed. This man, who wouldn't even consider marriage back in your day, is about to say the "I do" you wish you'd heard ringing out at the town hall. Even worse, he's bought a house with his sweetheart, despite constantly telling you, "It's not the right time to invest."<\/p>\n While you endlessly glance in the rearview mirror, your heart pounding, your ex has already left you in the dust in this quest for stability. It's a perfect illustration of the taxi theory. This theory didn't come from some savvy therapist, but from Miranda Hobbes, our cultural touchstone of the 2000s.<\/p>\n "Men are like taxis. They wake up one day and decide they're ready to settle down, have kids... They turn on the roof light of their car. The woman who appears at that very moment, boom, she's the one they marry," she declared in Sex and the City. A clever automotive metaphor that suggests "bad timing." But your brain often decides otherwise and convinces you that you're the problem.<\/p>\n There are tons of theories about relationships<\/a> , and while some are plausible, others are completely unfounded<\/a> . The "taxi theory," however reassuring it may seem, should be taken with a grain of salt. As psychologist Marie-Victoire Chopin points out in the online magazine Auf\u00e9minin<\/a> , it's primarily a comforting "pick-me-up" when your heart is broken and your feelings are in turmoil. "I've always seen this 'taxi theory' as a kind of retort meant to console friends after a breakup," she explains. It's a typical self-protection mechanism, a way of deflecting the pain.<\/p>\n While you find yourself at a crossroads in love, torn between regrets of the past and the desire to move on, your ex is forging their own path, embracing this new love with both passion and reason. And the taxi theory helps you "put this difficult situation into perspective." Yet, it actually holds you back more than it helps you move forward. Beyond reducing love to a game of cars and comparing men to ride-hailing services, the taxi theory is quite simplistic and overshadows all other explanations.<\/p>\n The therapist is well aware that commitment isn't always immediate. Some people fear becoming "chained" to the other person or carry childhood traumas. Yet, if your ex immediately rebuilt their life after you, it wasn't to make up for "lost time" but simply reflects a "turning point." The breakup, however painful, sometimes triggers a realization, and this can be quite radical. The specialist refers to it as "psychological maturation."<\/p>\n The taxi theory is therefore more of a "placebo" excuse than a genuine phenomenon. However, when you see the man you had your whole life with fulfilling all your dreams with someone else, it's hard not to blame yourself. "What did I do wrong?" "There must be something wrong with me." "Why her and not me?" These questions run through your mind and damage your self-esteem.<\/p>\n So no, you weren't just a spare tire, nor the pumpkin before the carriage. The expert even turns the "question" around to clear away all the confusion you're seeing. "Why did I accept a relationship where commitment was uncertain for so long?"<\/em> Once you've found the answer, you might be able to get back on the highway to happiness and forge your own path, alone or with someone special.<\/p>\n Dear Miranda Hobbes doesn't have all the answers. Love isn't fiction, but a journey fraught with obstacles. To use a car analogy: find someone who recharges your battery simply by being there, and who doesn't leave it completely drained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You've just broken up and are painfully recovering, but your ex wasted no time and found something better...","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":433351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5717],"tags":[97833,97372],"class_list":["post-433348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-vie-amoureuse","tag-actu","tag-relation"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/theorie-du-taxi-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/theorie-du-taxi-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/theorie-du-taxi.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":5717,"name":"Love life","slug":"vie-amoureuse","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5885,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Love life section of The Body Optimist unpacks relationships in all their forms: dating, attraction, life as a couple, jealousy, breakups and being single. Advice from therapists, psychological insights and personal stories help you build healthy, balanced relationships, with no pressure to couple up and no one-size-fits-all model.<\/p>\n Getting over a breakup takes time, and the pain often feels like grief: sadness, anger, nostalgia and relief can take turns. A few steps help you through it: limit contact with your ex and the urge to check their social media, put away objects that stir up memories, lean on friends and family rather than isolating yourself, get back to your routines (sleep, meals, movement) and reinvest in activities that are yours alone. Writing down what you feel helps put your thoughts in order. If the sadness lasts for weeks and keeps you from functioning day to day, a therapist can help you move forward.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t see being in a couple as a goal to reach: single, exclusive, living together without marrying or in a decades-long relationship, every path deserves to be told without judgment. Our articles reject the idea that you need to change your body to be loved, and remind you that excessive jealousy and control are never proof of love. They speak to all couples, straight and LGBTQIA+, and offer guidance without claiming to replace couples therapy or psychological support.<\/p>\n A relationship becomes toxic when one partner controls, belittles or isolates the other: checking their phone, constant criticism, emotional blackmail, swinging between passionate declarations and coldness. \u201cNarcissist\u201d gets used loosely online, but narcissistic personality disorder is a clinical diagnosis: focus on behaviors rather than labels. If you\u2019re facing violence, contact a domestic violence hotline or your local emergency services.<\/p>\n Developed by American marriage counselor Gary Chapman, the five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. The idea is that each person tends to express and receive affection in a preferred way. It\u2019s a popular framework for avoiding misunderstandings, not a scientifically validated theory.<\/p>\n Connections often grow out of activities you repeat over time: a sports club, a choir, a community group, volunteering, evening classes. Say yes to invitations, let friends introduce you to their circle, and start conversations around a shared interest. The goal isn\u2019t to impress at all costs but to create more chances to connect.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, pleasure and sexual health in Sexuality<\/a>, wedding planning and anniversaries in Marriage<\/a>, and tools to stand your ground in Self-confidence<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":6135,"count":709,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5717,"category_count":709,"category_description":" The Love life section of The Body Optimist unpacks relationships in all their forms: dating, attraction, life as a couple, jealousy, breakups and being single. Advice from therapists, psychological insights and personal stories help you build healthy, balanced relationships, with no pressure to couple up and no one-size-fits-all model.<\/p>\n Getting over a breakup takes time, and the pain often feels like grief: sadness, anger, nostalgia and relief can take turns. A few steps help you through it: limit contact with your ex and the urge to check their social media, put away objects that stir up memories, lean on friends and family rather than isolating yourself, get back to your routines (sleep, meals, movement) and reinvest in activities that are yours alone. Writing down what you feel helps put your thoughts in order. If the sadness lasts for weeks and keeps you from functioning day to day, a therapist can help you move forward.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t see being in a couple as a goal to reach: single, exclusive, living together without marrying or in a decades-long relationship, every path deserves to be told without judgment. Our articles reject the idea that you need to change your body to be loved, and remind you that excessive jealousy and control are never proof of love. They speak to all couples, straight and LGBTQIA+, and offer guidance without claiming to replace couples therapy or psychological support.<\/p>\n A relationship becomes toxic when one partner controls, belittles or isolates the other: checking their phone, constant criticism, emotional blackmail, swinging between passionate declarations and coldness. \u201cNarcissist\u201d gets used loosely online, but narcissistic personality disorder is a clinical diagnosis: focus on behaviors rather than labels. If you\u2019re facing violence, contact a domestic violence hotline or your local emergency services.<\/p>\n Developed by American marriage counselor Gary Chapman, the five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. The idea is that each person tends to express and receive affection in a preferred way. It\u2019s a popular framework for avoiding misunderstandings, not a scientifically validated theory.<\/p>\n Connections often grow out of activities you repeat over time: a sports club, a choir, a community group, volunteering, evening classes. Say yes to invitations, let friends introduce you to their circle, and start conversations around a shared interest. The goal isn\u2019t to impress at all costs but to create more chances to connect.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, pleasure and sexual health in Sexuality<\/a>, wedding planning and anniversaries in Marriage<\/a>, and tools to stand your ground in Self-confidence<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Love life","category_nicename":"vie-amoureuse","category_parent":6135}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433348"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":433354,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433348\/revisions\/433354"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} A popular belief stemming from pop culture that needs to be qualified<\/h2>\n
Tips for not doubting your worth after a breakup<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Love life section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get over a breakup?<\/h2>\n
Our take on love<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How can you tell if a relationship is toxic?<\/h3>\n
What are the five love languages?<\/h3>\n
How can you meet someone without dating apps?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Love life section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get over a breakup?<\/h2>\n
Our take on love<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How can you tell if a relationship is toxic?<\/h3>\n
What are the five love languages?<\/h3>\n
How can you meet someone without dating apps?<\/h3>\n