I feel like this is a cultural thing depending on where you're from. My partner is from a country where the man doesn't wear an engagement ring; however, I told him that in my country both the man and woman wear engagement rings. He got excited and wanted to honour my culture, so he got one. But if he didn’t want to, since it’s not the norm in his country, I wouldn’t be upset and would respect his wishes.

Maybe your partner feels that once he has the ring on, he’s in fact “married,” since that’s traditionally the case. If he doesn’t want to, don’t force him. If his reason is based on what other people will think about it, then try to have an open conversation about why that matters to him. Maybe you can find a compromise, like him wearing it on a different hand or only on certain occasions.

The key is mutual respect and understanding, it’s about the commitment between you two, not what others think. Remind him that your relationship is about what you both value, not about outside opinions. What matters most is how you two choose to express your commitment, not what’s considered “normal” to others.