Some men tend to hide their feelings. They are simply not comfortable with putting it all out in the open. In these situations, what should a woman do other than to step up her detective skills and try to read those ‘subtle signs he likes you’.
It can be exhausting. But also that anticipation of not knowing can be intriguing. Not to mention all that mystery of a guy that doesn’t put it all out in the open can be extremely sexy.
If we are being completely honest with ourselves, we would much rather search for those little telltale signs than know it right away. Straightforwardness kills the mystery in those early stages of a romance.
The reason for his not so transparent or straightforward behavior can vary. He might be one of those shy guys who are reluctant to approach you and be open about everything. He might be putting you on a pedestal and feeling like he is not quite in the same league as you. He might be just plain shy.
On the other hand, he might be testing the field and taking his precious time to see if you guys are on the same page. He is taking it slow and doesn’t want to rush into things but he is nevertheless giving you those subtle hints that he wants to be with you.
The most often scenario is that the two of you are already friends or even coworkers and he doesn’t want to mess that up. He values you too much and he is scared that if you know how he feels, it would make things awkward between you and he might even lose you as a friend.
In case that you are coworkers’, office policy or a possibly unpleasant working environment might be holding him back.
If you are interested to know if he is into you, if he likes you more than he is willing to show and admit pay attention to these signs:
1. He lights up around you.
There is something about you that simply makes him radiant and happy every time you enter the room, when he sees you or when he is simply around. He has a smile that tells more than any words ever could.
People smile from their souls when they are in love—regardless if they are hiding their feelings or they are putting them out in the open. That glow they have when they are around you is a sure yet subtle sign that they like you.
2. His eyes are mirroring his emotions.
There are two ways to tell if a guy likes you depending on eye contact. In the first case, he is locking eyes with you all the time, letting you know that he is into you. This kind of eye contact is reserved for alpha males, confident and outgoing types who are subtly letting you know that they like you.
In the second scenario, he has problems locking eyes with you. His look drifts away because he is too shy to admit it. There are no right or wrong signs here. Guys’ behavior and differences depend on their personalities. That doesn’t mean they like you any less.
3. He playfully teases you.
If he is the type of man who is outgoing, confident and sure of himself, he will have no problems playfully teasing you. But he will do it in such a way that you will have no idea if he is s flirt by nature or is he really into you.
It can be rather confusing. But pay attention to his behavior toward other women in your surroundings. If he is the same with every other woman, he is definitely not into you.
He is just a flirt (probably the kind that cannot be trusted). But, if he singles you out and his behavior towards you stands out from his usual behavior, it’s a sure sign he likes you.
4. He likes spending time with you.
He’ll do his best to spend as much time with you as possible. He might be eager to join some activity you are into. He might start to visit places you usually hang out at, like your favorite park, coffee shop or library.
He will make as much effort as he possibly can, without overdoing it, to be around you. He likes your company and it’s evident in his behavior and always wanting to be somewhere near—if not right beside you.
5. He forgets about time.
When he is with you, time simply flies. So more often than not, he forgets some other things he had to do because he is too busy talking to you. When you are good company and you are enjoying yourself, time is a relative thing.
Hours go by and when you are with the right person, it feels like it’s been only minutes. If you understand him and he can talk with you for hours and lose track of the time, it’s definitely a good sign.
6. He forgets about his surroundings and what he is supposed to be doing.
Let’s say he is giving you a ride home. He knows where you live, so you don’t give him instructions. But he just keeps riding past your home because he is engaged in a conversation you are having.
Or he is simply distracted by the fact that you are sitting right next to him. Whatever it might be, if your presence makes him forgetful, he is probably head over heels for you.
7. He is lingering.
He stays around longer than he normally would. He is reluctant to leave and he is probably doing it subconsciously. He is making up topics about this and that just so he can spend more time with you.
If you participate and make it easy for him to approach you and talk to you, he will stay until the point where he realizes that your conversation is becoming tiring.
8. His behavior changes when other guys are in the picture.
To put it simply—he is jealous. He can’t stand when you start talking about some other guy. He will try to change the topic. He might have also a different approach. He might start asking questions about the guy to see if he finds him a threat and to see how you feel about that other guy.
If some other guy is flirting with you, giving you his whole attention, the behavior of a guy that’s into you will change. He will become distant. His facial expression will change and he won’t have that radiant happy smile on his face anymore.
He is probably retreating because he still hasn’t got the nerve to ask you out and just now realized he might risk losing you because he waited for so long to tell you how he feels.
9. He wants to impress you.
When he is retelling some story or something personal, he wants you to see his full potential. So, he always exaggerates and adds some things you presume are not true. His stories make him in some kind of superhero who has a balanced, well-rounded life.
He might even brag about things he has done and make him extremely proud. He wants you to know that he is worthy of you and wants to impress you. So, don’t hold his exaggerations against him. Take them as a good sign because he wants you to like him.
10. People around you tell you he likes you.
Sometimes we are clueless about somebody’s feelings towards us until somebody who has the role of accidental bystander points it out. Then we start noticing how he treats us differently than the rest and how something might be happening there.
Thank God for friends that are willing to guide you in the right direction. They might even call him out in the open about his infatuation for you. In those situations, you will see how uncomfortable he gets and how the color in his cheeks goes from pale to blush in no time.
11. He gives you subtle compliments.
He will never exaggerate but from time to time, he will notice you changed your style or cut your hair shorter. He will tell you some outfit looks amazing on you or he will compliment you on being smart and good at what you do.
He will do his best to make you feel better about yourself. He probably won’t compliment you often because he doesn’t want his feelings revealed quite yet but he will come to a situation where he won’t be able to help himself and will speak what’s truly on his mind.
12. He remembers things about you which you don’t even remember.
If a guy is interested, everything you say and do will be of great importance for him. He will remember something you said a while back. Or a place you visited together or with some mutual friends that simply slipped your mind.
You might not even remember him being there but he will most certainly remember you. Things you told him are in his long-term memory. Remembering details about you is a clear sign of his affection.
13. You have his full attention.
Even when his mind seems to be elsewhere or he is not facing you, he holds on to every word you say. Maybe you already experienced situations in which you felt like nobody else in your crowd is listening but he will pay attention.
He will participate in the conversation or you might even be leading a separate dialog while in the company of other people.
14. He is asking about your relationship status.
He wants to know if you are single. He might beat around the bush in investigating your relationship status or he might openly ask you. He will let you know in some way or another that he is single.
Just in case you were wondering. This also might be one of the reasons he still hasn’t made his move and he wants to make sure your relationship status says single before proceeding.
15. He is keeping track of your social media accounts.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter….give him full access to parts of you which you want to share with other people. It’s a great way to find out about your interests, likes, and dislikes. It gives him more ideas about things you share, can talk about or do together.
He will ‘like’ your posts frequently. So, don’t be surprised if he likes some photo you posted a while back. He is probably browsing every picture you ever posted and at some point, he is bound to press unintentionally ‘like’ which will be a perfect telltale sign he likes you.
16. What he can’t say in words he will say with body language.
He will stand close to you when you speak. He will subconsciously lean toward you when you are in the middle of a conversation. He won’t hesitate to put his hands on your shoulder or subtly touch your arm.
I already mentioned unavoidable eye contact but I forgot to point out that he might be scanning you and checking you out. His eyes might be concentrated on the area around your lips because he is wondering how it would be like to kiss you. His body language will tell you all you want to know.
That men and women come from different planets is a well-known fact. Men, in general, don’t like talking about their feelings or making them obvious.
Women, on the other hand, have no problem with talking about their feelings but they are not so very open and straightforward about liking somebody if they are not sure if somebody likes them or not.
If a guy is sending you some of the subtle signs that he likes you listed above, he is probably waiting for the perfect moment to make his move or he is testing the field to see if you are compatible.
I know that testing the field might have some negative connotations but in my opinion, that is a good thing. Sometimes initial chemistry might be misleading and a guy you are so clearly into might not be the perfect match for you.
It’s better to get to know each other than rush into things—especially if your lives are intertwined with work, friendship or any other relationship. In that case, it’s better to play it safe and give the guy a chance to meet you on a deeper level first. It will save you a lot of awkwardness later.
And no matter how well we read the signs of our mutual likes and dislikes, we might get it wrong. There is no a secure way to make a clear cut distinction between a guy who likes you as a friend and the one who wants something more.
The best way to distinguish the two is through these subtle hints. Because as much as your friends like to spend time with you and like the things you like, only a guy who feels something more will make a greater effort to get to know you.
He will remember small details or go green with jealousy because other guys are around.
You are probably on the right track if you recognize a guy you like in these signs. What’s necessary for things to go on to the next level (in this case a first real date) is your behavior. If you are unapproachable, he will hesitate more and more to ask you out.
If you are keeping him at arm’s length and ignoring when he notices you, he will start to pull away.
If you are constantly busy, if you can’t put your phone down to talk to him, he will feel like he is not welcome in your company. But if you start giving him subtle signs on your own, he will most likely pick up on them.
If you like a guy, be open to making conversation. Ask questions and get to know him better. Show that you pay attention, that you are interested in what he has to say and his interests as much as he is in yours.
Don’t overdo it. Follow his lead. If he gives you hints of his interest, return him hint—don’t make moves because you might be going ahead of yourself.
If you see him distant and pulling away, you should keep your distance. Move at the same pace. If he is giving you subtle hints that he likes you, he will surely make a move as soon as he feels comfortable in doing so.
If not, don’t be too sad because you haven’t lost anything. Your relationship stayed exactly the same as before you started reading the signs, so all in all, you haven’t lost anything. If he acts on his feelings, you get a potentially good relationship. So it’s a win-win situation.
Remember:the most important thing is that you are on the same page when it comes to your feelings. So, take your time in finding that out. Sometimes the magic is not knowing where you stand exactly in anticipation of possible romance waiting for you in the near future.
