Five Totally Confusing Things Guys Do That Mean They Like You - claytonolsoncoaching.com (2024)

It’s the oldest tale in romance — boy likes girl, boy teases girl on the playground, or shoots spitballs at her hair, or [insert aggravating behavior here], and then somehow, boy and girl live happily ever after.

Yes, it starts early and often continues on from there.

The signs he likes you aren’t always obvious —or even particularlyconducive to love.

Sometimes he sends clear signals: he may text you, call you, or send a dozen roses for no reason at all. Or, shockingly enough, he may actually tell you he likes you outright. How brave!

When this happens, it’s easy to feel secure in your relationship. He likes you, you like him, the world is full of rainbows and kittens. But, more often, the signs a guy likes you are vague and confusing. Sometimes, you practically need a decoder ring to figure out what’s going on.

Consider this article your own personal man-behavior decoder ring!

Here are five common, yet subtle, waysa man hints that he likes you (without ever actually saying it):

1.He getsvery serious or quiet.

One of the signs a guy likes you is his level of seriousness. He may seemquiet and pensive and take your conversations with the gravity of a Master’s dissertation. He may even come offa little boring,asking you to tell him about your job as a CPA, for instance. It can seem a little bit like he's conducting aninterview at times, but he’s merely playing it safe.

During this phase of the relationship, he’s in his adult ego state, which basically means he’s extremely careful not to mess things up. He wants you to drive the conversation, rather than risk him driving you away.

2.He's formulaic in his approach.

Another signa man likes you involves his approach. If he is formulaic, almost surgical, in the way he says and does things —waiting exactlythree days to call you, for example —it’s often because he fears the errors that might come withspontaneity. He’s uncomfortable with the thought of losing you and, thus, he acts subdued in his approach.

Another way this might manifest is through hyper-masculinity — meaning he might act like an oddly macho, macho man. Perhaps he really isa raging ball of testosterone, but he may also just beputting on a show. Men often go into masculine mode (the safe, traditional gender role)when they aren’t sure what else to do.

The last thing he wants is to come off as needy or desperate, so he flexes his muscles a little while staring in the proverbial mirror.

More:How To Talk Dirty To Him So He'll Do ANYTHING You Want

3. He accidentally insults you.

Believe it or not, one of the signs he really likes you is whenhe accidentallyinsults you. It's his very awkward attempt to create an emotional spark. He may try to tease you or joke with you or flirt with you (and, frankly, he might be bad at it).

He might seem arrogant and brash at first, but give him a chance.He’s only trying to connect with you by challenging you. It's a thing guys do with each other to show affection. They banter.Some men are still the awkward boys from grade school, no matter how old they grow. He's trying to be playful, not realizing he's not coming off well.

4.He actsco*cky and brags.

Ironically, one of the biggest signs that he loves is comingacross as him loving himself — A LOT. co*ckiness and bragging aren’t exactly things women look for.Tall, dark,andboastful? Nope!

But oftentimes men brag in an attempt tobuildvalue. In short, they want to impress you.He’s not trying to compete with you or one up you, at least not usually. He simply wants you to see what he can offer. He’s trying to sell himself so that you’ll give him the time of day … and your phone number.

5. He doesn't initiate physical intimacy.

Among the final signs that he loves you is one of the most confusing: He doesn’t initiate physical contact. This may turn awkward if you’re giving him the green light (“So, here are my breasts”). You might conclude he’s not attracted to you, or that you’re not his type. You might even conclude that he’s a eunuch.

Despite popular belief, men don’t always jump at the chance to have sex. If he’s slow to respond to your advances, it might simply meanhe’s afraid of moving too quickly and ruining the relationship. Even if you’re giving him the green-light, he may still fearrejection or ruining the chance at a real connection. That can be enough to make him keep his hands to himself just a little while longer.

The signs a guy likes you (even loves you)may be obvious, subtle, or somewhere in between.

If you go into the dating world assuming that he does like you, that he is interested, and that you do have a chance together, your odds of finding a relationship skyrocket.

This shows that you’re open, you’re comfortable, and you’re not afraid to like him back.

Clayton Olson is an international Relationship Coach, Master NLP Practitionerand Facilitator. He delivers private virtual coaching sessions and leads online group workshops.Register forhisfree webinarthat reveals the 3 Keys to Attracting and Keeping a High-Quality Man or grab his free guide 8 Secrets To Create A Rock Solid Relationship, byclicking this link.