Shrekking is dating someone you consider less attractive than you, expecting loyalty, then being surprised when they leave.
Shrekking refers to choosing a partner you privately rate as “below” your usual standards, assuming they will be especially devoted out of gratitude. The plan backfires when they end the relationship instead.
The name comes from the Shrek films and the idea of pairing with someone unconventional in looks. The mindset treats a partner as a safe bet to be managed rather than an equal to be respected.
The flawed logic is that perceived attractiveness somehow buys loyalty, which it does not. Treating someone as a fallback option usually pushes them away once they sense how they are being seen.
The lesson is straightforward: date people you actually respect and want, not people you think you can keep through quiet condescension. Mutual regard, not a private scoreboard of looks, is what holds a relationship together over time.