The world would be a much more direct place if people said exactly how they felt, but it would also be more awkward and uncomfortable. Since romantic feelings usually start pretty subtly, you may need some help trying to discover a guy’s true intentions and feelings. How do you know if a guy likes you through observation? Here are 8 signs.
1. He’ll want to hang out with you alone.
In the beginning, you might spend a lot of time with this guy in a group setting. That’s always the easiest way to form a friendship and it’s also a place where romantic feelings can begin to sprout. As he starts to realize that he likes you, he’ll try to hang out with you alone by pulling you off to the side during group hangouts. When my friends and I had bonfires back in college, my friend Tim and I had a crush on each other, so we’d always go off exploring to leave the group for a bit. On the other hand, this guy may be direct enough to straight up ask you to grab coffee or food or do some other activity together. It might come off as platonic at first, but after you hang out one-on-one a few times you’ll start to feel those romance vibes.
Check out: How to know if a guy likes you through texts
2. He asks questions to see if you’re compatible.
There are different levels to liking someone. You usually like someone right off the bat because they’re attractive or extraverted, but then you have to learn about them on a deeper level to see if those feelings can blossom into something significant. This is when he’ll start to ask questions to get to know you better, like asking about your past relationships, family, long-term goals, and beliefs. The older this guy is the deeper his questions will get, which is a really big sign that he likes you.
3. He notices when you change your style.
A guy who likes you is attentive. He’s going to notice if you suddenly get bangs, start to wear lipstick out of nowhere, or if he’s extremely detail-oriented, he’ll even notice when you buy a new outfit. When he comments on these things, you’ll have to decide whether he’s just detail-oriented and stylish or if he’s only like this with you because his eyes are constantly on you.
4. His greetings and goodbyes get more intimate.
When I meet someone new, I usually give them a handshake or introduce myself without any physical contact. This would be considered appropriate. As I gain confidence with them, I may initiate a high five or pounds, depending on the situation. Once we’re close friends, we may hug depending on how long it’s been since I’ve seen them. This progression of greetings shows trust and builds intimacy. When a guy likes you, he’s going to quickly jump to the hugging phase, and the longer he hugs you the surer you can be about his romantic feelings towards you.
Check out: How to know if a guy likes you
5. He shows off his greatest attributes.
We all like to showcase the best version of ourselves, but we really exaggerate this when we’re around someone we like. After all, we want to attract them. I have done a lot of cool things in my life but I probably wouldn’t outline them to someone I meet at a party; however, I might mention to my crush that I climbed Kilimanjaro a couple of years ago because it makes me sound pretty cool. Whether I’m cool or not is a whole other story… Anyway, he’s going to show off his greatest attributes. Maybe he’ll tell you he volunteers, mention his professional goals, outline his current occupation, or talk about the great relationship he has with his younger sibling. You’ll soon learn some of his biggest positive aspects because he hopes to hook you, line and sinker.
6. He’s extra attentive.
Liking someone means you care about them and, in an ideal world, you’d date them and provide support and care. A guy who likes you is going to be preemptive and provide extra attention to show you that you’re on his radar. He’ll be in tune with how you’re feeling. If you show that you’re not feeling yourself one day, he’ll notice and try to remedy the situation by checking in on you or giving you something to lift your spirits.
7. If another girl is interested in him, he’ll say he doesn’t care.
When you find out that Becky or Sara or whoever from the other department is into this guy, he’ll be quick to shut down any rumors or possibilities in front of you. He wants you to know that he isn’t into anyone else because he only has eyes for a secret someone – you!
8. He looks at you after making bold statements.
You can learn a lot about relationships by watching the speaker’s eye contact when they talk in a group. If someone makes a bold statement or tries to be funny, the first person they’ll look at after speaking is the person whose opinion matters the most to them. The next time this guy makes an intense, controversial, or funny statement in a group, his eyes will immediately look to you if he likes you.
Check out: How to know someone likes you
Conclusion:
If you can confirm at least four of these signs, there’s a good chance this guy has some feelings for you. Whether it’s just a schoolboy crush or something serious is yet to be explored, but I’d love to hear what you’re going to do about it in the comments!