01 · Side by side

Side by side

Comparison sheet
AspectGreen flagRed flag
Tells you toProceedStop
IsA trait presentA behaviour to fear
Age of the termRecentMid-1700s
ExampleApologises properlyNever apologises
02 · Which one you meant

Which one did you mean?

In shortReaders who land here meaning Green Flag rather than Red flag are usually searching for phrases like “signs someone is actually good for you”, “the opposite of a red flag”, “what are green flags in dating”.

Green Flag

  • “signs someone is actually good for you”
  • “the opposite of a red flag”
  • “what are green flags in dating”
  • “how do I know they're emotionally healthy”
03 · The mix-up

Where the confusion comes from

The mix-up“Green flag is as old as red flag.”
What's true

Red flag as a warning dates to the mid-1700s. The relationship sense of green flag is a recent back-formation, popularised in the late 2010s and 2020s.

04 · Read either one

Read either one in full