Too often, some relationships have been misconstrued for something more profound, more tangible than pure friendship. Sooner or later, someone goofs because they think the feeling is mutual. That can be pretty embarrassing if it’s up all in your head, especially when the other person just sees you as a great buddy to hang with.
So how do you know when someone likes you? Is it just a hunch, or are there signals to watch out for, what if they want you to but are just as scared as you are to show it?
Of course, we are not just talking about that surface feeling of goodness you get when someone nice comes around, no! We are talking honest-to-goodness butterflies that erupt in your belly when you see this person.
They make you want to belt out some Celine Dion blues and leave your head in the clouds most days. What I mean is that you feel something exceptional for them, well you catch my drift, right?
Now imagine if they feel the same or even more for you. How cool would that be! But how do you notice when someone likes you, like for real? Does the fact that you guys get to talk about anything under the sun count? Or how about that unique way they treat you or smile when they see you? If they didn’t like you, they wouldn’t act differently with you than when they are with other people, right?
Hey! Hold your horses. Things may not always be as they seem; that’s why it is essential to note some key signs that they might be as much into you as you are into them.
Patience is a virtue. How does this saying help you get on with your love life? Especially since you’re not sure how they feel about you. Keep reading and learn all the answers to how do you notice when someone likes you.
How to Know if Someone Likes You Psychology
Generally speaking, every human is unique in their interactions with their environment; this makes it somewhat challenging to answer the question of how you know when someone likes you. That’s why we have to understand how to know if someone likes you psychology.
As varied as our characters are, some unifying traits make us human. One of them is our emotions. How we feel when we love, when we are happy, angry, sad, etc. is a general concept. This is where psychology comes in because it helps us understand these emotions and our reactions to them.
Psychology is a proven way to help answer the question, how do you know if someone likes you? It will help you understand all those hidden emotions and subconscious reactions that come when you are around someone you really want.
So here are some pretty obvious ways to know if someone likes you using psychology, it goes thus;
1. Flirty much. In a non-creepy way, of course, they may flirt a lot with you as a way to show their interest in you. Some people would love to be friends with you first, to know you better before flirting up a storm and dropping hints of their admiration for you. Others would rather just get started the moment they met you and wouldn’t want to waste any more time in showing you how they feel by flirting with you.
2. Impress you to bits. Someone who’s got their eyes on you will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable around them. They’d be on their best behavior because they want to attract and keep your attention. They would keep the less excellent points of their personality away from you, while the best parts would shine through.
They may go on and on about their successful career or achievements, do something beautiful for you or show off their mental capabilities about diverse topics. All in all, they would try their best to keep you “oohing” and “aahing” over their impressive demeanor.
3. Intense glances. If you are curious about the question, how do you recognize when someone likes you, then you should note that the eyes are the window of the soul. One fairly obvious way to tell if someone secretly admires you is by how often they stare at you.
Some people are too timid to let you catch their eyes on you, so they would hurriedly fix them elsewhere when you find them looking at you. Those who are bolder would keep those eyes on you, not caring if you catch them or not. The intensity of their feelings would blaze through their eyes as they focus their sights on you.
4. Similar tastes. When you find that you and your friend have identical tastes in lots of things, the chances are that you are more compatible with each other, and that’s good for a romantic relationship. You could bond over books, movies, music, games, food, colors, and anything! That common ground over some things may be a pointer that something more substantial than friendship is in the offing.
5. Touchy-feely. Touch is one obvious way someone can show their feelings for you. It’s like they can’t do without touching you in some way. Whenever they are around you, it’s either they are holding your hands, pushing your hair behind your ears, slinging their arm around your shoulders…just getting their hands on your person.
So if you want to know if someone has a crush on you, watch out for those touchy-feely moments. However, if the person you like abruptly pulls away when you casually touch them, it’s a good indicator that they are not that into you. Ouch!
6. Close to you. They are always looking for ways to be in your general vicinity. They would try to hang out with your crowd, use the same grocery store as you, and head to the library just before, or after you do so. The bottom line, you find them around you.
7. Mirroring. This is the act of replicating the actions of someone. Do you know that when you like someone, you unconsciously replicate their actions? One easy way to tell if someone cares about you is how they subconsciously copy your movements. Do they cross their arms when you do so or crack their fingers just after you cracked yours? You might want to pay closer attention to what they are unconsciously saying.
8. Never a dull moment. If you find them always willing to carry out those mundane or tedious tasks with you, it might be a way to know if someone really likes you. They make everything seem interesting, even silence. They don’t mind what you guys have to do, as long as they get to be with you.
9. Gravitate towards you. If you want to know if someone likes you secretly, watch how they act around you. One psychological trait to watch out for is if they gravitate toward you. A person who has a crush on you may subconsciously lean in towards you when they are around you. For instance, while you guys are sitting together, they may incline their heads to face you, then their shoulders and torso would follow suit.
10. Nothing gets in their way with you. Another psychological trait you should watch out for to know if he secretly admires you is how he removes any barrier between the two of you. Someone who doesn’t desire you would subconsciously set up barricades like a bag of chips, a newspaper, a purse, or even a person, just to maintain that emotional distance. Some would go as far as putting on their earpiece or fiddling with their phone so that they won’t have to converse with you.
Someone who likes you will be eager to be as close to you as they possibly can by removing any barrier between you two. Nothing gets in their way when they want to be around you. Watch out for signs that he secretly admires you by how to eliminate or fumble around barriers just to get to you.
How Do You Know When Someone Likes You Secretly
The question of how do you know when someone admires you? Can leave your thoughts all over the place, especially when the person is sending mixed signals. There is nothing as amazing as having your romantic feelings reciprocated.
However, things can get quite complicated if you are crushing on someone, but they don’t feel the same for you. If you want to know how to tell if someone likes you secretly, you’ve got to watch out for some signs that he likes you without saying it.
It can be doubly awkward to have a major crush on someone who might see you as a dear friend or even a brother. Gosh! And somehow you wish she could return your feelings, but you want to be doubly sure you’re not alone in your fantasies.
So here are some quick signs someone likes you secretly.
1. Their smiles get bigger when they see you. When someone likes you, they can’t help but smile unabashedly whenever you are around them. Seeing you makes them happy and mind you they probably don’t smile so hugely with other people.
2. They make you feel special. Want to know if someone secretly admires you, watch out for how special they make you think. For instance, they’re usually the first ones to notice something different about your appearance, or they always compliment you. Also, they help you with stuff that they won’t do for others. Like, paying for meals or events, etc.
3. Staring at you when no one is looking. When someone likes you, their eyes can’t stay away from you, no matter how cool they try to play it off.
4. Leans into you when you’re together. While you guys are talking, watch out for how closely they lean into you. They would want to be as close to you as they could manage. If there’s any barrier between you two, they will find a way to get rid of it.
5. Uses any opportunity to touch you. If you are not into them and they act so touchy-feely with you, you might want to talk to someone you trust about it. However, when someone likes you, they find excuses to brush against you, touch your hair, hold your arm, or wipe something off your face. Anything, as far as their hands get on your person without scaring you away.
6. Acts nervous around you. If they are generally suave and calm, yet stutter or act shy around you, you might have a crush on your hands.
7. Always reference the fact that they are single. They may joke about how lonely their love life is, or how no one is waiting at home for them; somehow, they’d hint or tell you that there is no competition anywhere.
How to Tell if Someone Likes You But Is Hiding it
If you are curious about how do you know when someone admires you? Watch out for their actions and even their inactions. I know you are excited about the possibility that he/she likes you but is hiding it. Still, you’ve got to be doubly sure about their intentions, so you don’t get disappointed. That’s why you should understand how to tell if someone likes you but is hiding it.
How people behave when they are with or away from you is a clear indication of their feelings toward you. After all “, they say actions speak louder than words” right? One thing you must keep in mind is that you can’t force or cajole someone into admitting their secret feelings for you. Unfortunately not many people like the straightforward “do you like me, yes or no?” approach, so you have to subtly get them to open up to you at their own pace.
They may have a good reason for being hesitant about telling you how they feel. Could be they are shy or scared of your reaction. Maybe they have been heartbroken or had a bad experience with relationships. Either way, you don’t want to scare them away by insisting they tell you how they feel.
All you need to do is give them space and time to be comfortable enough with you. By then you’d already know how to tell if someone likes you but is hiding it.
Here are some signs someone likes you but is scared
1. Attentiveness. If a person really likes you, trust me, they would pay attention to even the smallest details about you. Even in the midst of the crowd, they search you out to ask questions, including you in the discussion, stare at you… above all, they notice everything about you and want to be close to you all the time. They give you more attention than they do others because they are attracted to you.
2. Body language. Twitchy fingers, shifting on the chair, shaking your foot, scratching the nose, cracking knuckles, avoiding eye contact, or any nervous body movements may just be signs that they are into you. So if you find that your friend is always fidgeting whenever they are around you, they just might like you more than you know.
We get nervous whenever we are around people we’re crushing on. It is a subconscious need to be perfect, to be impressive, yet somehow we end up on the flip side. So, when you see someone acting all clumsy every time they see you, you’ve got to pay attention.
3. Excessive generosity. When someone likes you, they are willing to go above and beyond to make you happy and safe. Sometimes, without you asking, they just show you care. They don’t mind going out of their way to drive you home, get the groceries, care for you when you are sick, get you coffee, or do little things that make you smile.
4. Curiosity about your life. Another sign that someone likes you but is hiding it is their burning curiosity. They want to know everything about you, especially private matters from your best color, to your favorite musician, friends, movie, lovers (if any) food, family, etc. They soak up every information they can get from you because they want to understand you better. They want to be able to communicate with you through things you love and appreciate.
5. Compliments. Someone who likes you would always compliment you. Whether it is about your looks or your achievements, they would always have something good to say. Remember that one of the signs that someone likes you but is hiding it is attentiveness. They pay attention to everything you say and do, so they would be quick to know when something is different about you. They play up your strengths and tease you about your weakness, anything to make you smile.
6. Impressive attitude. Most often we love to impress people we are attracted to, we want them to be attracted to us too. When someone is attracted to you, they try to elevate themselves in your eyes. They want you always to see them in a positive light, so they show off all the finer points of their personality.
7. Alone time. Someone who likes you will cherish private moments with you. They will try to hang out with just you. Spending some time with you alone is a breeding ground for romantic feelings to be let out. It gives them time to not only know you better but express how they feel for you without any distractions.
How to Know if Someone Likes You Without Talking to Them
It can be quite confusing when you keep wondering how you know when someone likes you. More often than not, we rely on verbal validation of affection to be convinced about people’s feelings towards you. But do you know that there are various ways to realize how to know if someone likes you without talking to them?
You probably have a crush on someone at the office or function you attend, and you find yourself imagining how good you’d be if you got together. But you obviously can’t tell if that person is on the same page with you, after all, it could be quite mortifying to find out that the object of your fantasy is in love with someone else. Talk about unrequited feelings; no one wants to deal with that.
So it is best to find out how to know if someone likes you without talking to them, or trying to get them to assure you verbally about their feelings. What if they disappoint you? Sure, you might say, “at least I will be sure of my stand with this person, no tip-toeing around it.”
But there is a more excellent way to discern their feelings by understanding how to know if someone likes you without talking to them. It will save you any embarrassing moment. So how do you know when someone is crushing on you if you don’t ask them, especially when you are not up and personal with them?
Well, here are some signs:
➢ They are always trying to be close to you. They may do this by offering you a hand of friendship. They want to know everything about you, be a friend you can count on because they’d like to be sure you guys are cool enough as friends before it goes any further.
➢ They are very observant. They pay utmost attention to everything you say or do. Most times, you find them telling you some hard truths about yourself that you probably never noticed or paid attention to. One of the signs that someone likes you but is afraid is how they try to make your life a little bit easier. So, they would ask a lot of silly questions about your likes and dislikes and pay more attention to your actions and reactions.
➢ They value your presence. This person is not irritated anytime they see you, instead, they are happy. Always smile whenever you are around them, no matter how terrible their day has been, your presence just seems to soothe them. If you find someone who is always scowling whenever they see you, or making snide remarks about your presence, or being irritable whenever you come around, it’s a pointer that they are not that into you.
➢ They love to give you updates about their day. One of the signs that someone likes you but is afraid is how they don’t mind sharing their day with you. They may call at the end of the day to tell you everything that happened, or send a series of texts to get you guys chatting about your day.
Signs Someone Likes You Romantically
Falling in love is the most beautiful thing, and having those feelings returned is equally amazing. But how do you know if the object of your desire feels the same? Watch out for the signs someone likes you romantically so that you wouldn’t waste your time.
One way you can understand how to know when someone likes you is to your eyes peeled for those signs that show that he cares. Otherwise, you will spend so much time wondering, or worse, nursing an unrequited passion.
So here are some signs someone likes you romantically.
1. They really listen. I’m not just talking about hearing what you have to say while thinking of the next exciting thing to do. I’m talking about him paying close attention to what you are saying and even what you didn’t say. He is totally interested in what you’re saying, not just pretending to be.
2. They are totally into you. Nothing means more to them than your presence. You will know that they like you romantically when they give you all their attention. They are so into you that nothing else is more important than what you are doing or saying to them.
3. They act differently with you. They may act stupidly with their friends, teasing all day long, but once you are around, they act more subdued or less loud than before. When you are alone, they show you a side of their personality that very few people get to see, it’s because they feel safe with you.
4. Always staring at you. They can’t seem to get their eyes off you, even when they try to pretend that they aren’t looking. The eyes are the windows of the soul because they convey hidden feelings that the mouth has not said. So when you catch him/her trying but failing to get their eyes off you, you might be seeing one of the signs that someone likes you romantically.
5. Always stay in touch. They never want to be too far from your mind, so they chat you up or call you with the ruse of checking up on you. They give you updates about their day and ask for yours, just to keep in touch with you always. They can’t bear not to be connected to you in some way. Not in a totally creepy-stalkerish way, but in a way that reminds you they are always there for you.
6. Future plans. Might not be something as serious as marriage, but they would definitely make plans with you in the picture. For instance, on your first day out, together, they may reference future outings. It shows that this isn’t a one-off thing, but something that would keep happening in the future with both of you. You see, they plan something for the future, and they see you in it.
7. Body Language. This is one of the signs that someone likes you romantically; it cannot be overlooked. The body gives so many little but visible signs about someone’s innermost feelings, that is why we must be very observant. When someone has feelings for you, their body language betrays them. It shows in the way they can’t stop smiling when you’re around, or how their body seems to follow your every move, or in how nervous they get when you come around or speak directly to them.
Signs Someone Likes You But Is Scared
There are many reasons why someone would have feelings for you but choose to remain silent about them. That is why you should watch out for those signs someone likes you but is scared to tell you.
The reason why you need to know these signs is that it gives you an edge, not to go bugging them about how they feel, no! But to create situations that would make them feel relaxed enough to confess their love for you.
It is imperative that you can answer the question of how do you know when someone admires you. The answer to this question will save you a lot of time and energy from thinking about what is not.
But what could be the reason why someone would prefer to keep their feelings to themselves?
1. They might be shy. Some people may like you truly but are not very good at showing and expressing their romantic feelings towards someone. Maybe they never tried it, or something about you intimidates them, but somehow they find themselves thoroughly tongue-tied when they are in your presence.
I know that there are people who are naturally shy when they are in the midst of people, or even the opposite sex; I am not referring to these kinds of shy people. I am talking about someone who loves you but is shy about showing you.
2. Not sure of your feelings. Perhaps you’ve been friends for too long, or you haven’t had time to know each other, so they are not sure if you would welcome their suit. This is one primary reason you should know the signs that someone likes you but is scared of committing.
It helps you position yourself rightly to send a message that you might be interested in. No one likes rejection. So they’d rather not say how much they feel for you and still maintain some dignity than to express their feelings and get disappointed.
3. Not ready to move on from the past. Perhaps they are still recovering from a broken heart, or they have had bad experiences in the past. The fact remains that they are not ready for a new relationship. So, as much as they may be interested in you, they are scared of getting hurt again. You need to let them know through your actions and words that you are worth the chance. They have to feel safe with you on that level before they can lower their guard.
With these reasons in mind, you can see why it wouldn’t be a good idea to force them to reveal their feelings for you. You have to let them work it out at their own pace. Love is never forced.
Now let’s see the signs someone likes you but is scared.
1. They act differently around you. They can’t help but want to present their best selves to you. They would probably turn on the charm, say their best jokes, prove their intelligence or point out all the cool things that you both like.
2. Can’t keep their eyes off you. If a person loves you, their whole being is drawn to you, especially their eyes. You are a fascinating being to them, so they follow you around with their eyes, trying to observe you as much as they can. Funnily enough, they may think no one is watching. They would spend so much time watching everything you do and avoiding you catching their eyes.
3. Always supportive. This is a clear sign that someone likes you but is hiding it. They are always trying to help you out with something, sometimes even what you want will cost them a lot. So they’d be on the sidelines cheering you on as you achieve your goals. They would help with your chores or daily tasks just to show that you can depend on them.
4. Talk to you about everything. From sunup to sundown, they don’t mind spending all their time chatting you up or calling you about everything. They feel so comfortable with you that they can share almost anything with you.
5. Nervous around you. This is one major tell that someone is into you, especially when you know you did nothing to make them feel uncomfortable. They’d shift around, twiddle their thumbs, clear their throat a lot, avoid direct eye contact, and so on.
6. Protective. Even the shyest person feels protective of someone they care about. It’s a natural instinct. When someone tries to hurt or mock someone you love, you automatically get on the defensive. If someone were vilifying your crush, you’d argue about how amazing and wonderful they were, or you would vehemently refuse to accept anything short of praises about them.
7. Acts jealous. Even when there’s obviously no sign of a sexual relationship between you two, they seem to get jealous when you are involved with someone else. They may pretend like it doesn’t matter who you get on with, but they give themselves away.
They may get angry unconsciously when you talk about the opposite sex. To them, no one would love you as purely as they would you, so they would try to convince you to quit any relationship with whoever they see as a threat.
8. Their friends are aware of their feelings for you. If they act all goofy and funny whenever you come around, the chances are that he/she has told them about how they feel for you.
9. Their smiles tell the story. They can’t keep the smiles off their faces whenever you come around. You can tell they are happy to see you even though they are shy because they can’t stop smiling, especially when they are looking at you.
10. Laugh at your jokes. No matter how dry you think your jokes are, someone who loves you even if they haven’t admitted it would always find you funny. They’d also do their best to make you laugh at their jokes. It helps release any unnecessary tension between you too and tighten the bond when you can share a joke or two.
Signs Someone Likes You At Work
Office romance can be fun and promising, but it could be disastrous, especially when they are not as into you as you thought. You need to know the signs someone likes you at work to keep office dynamics flowing.
Nothing is more embarrassing than falling all over someone who just sees you as an interesting colleague or a friend. After flirting heavily with someone who is just not that into you, you become quite uncomfortable being around them.
There’s nothing you can do to avoid them unless they or you are transferred to some other wing of the company, where bumping into each other will be reduced.
This is why it is imperative to find out how to know when someone likes you, especially in a corporate setting as this, to avoid mistakes born of assumptions.
So here are some signs someone likes you at work to help you know if it is worth going forward with the flirt dance or not.
1. They steal glances at you. As surreptitiously as possible, they’d try to stare at you unabashedly without being caught. For some people, they would intentionally try to catch your gaze, and for others, they’d look away before you find them staring. The bottom line, they make staring at you an art of subtlety because they wouldn’t want to be a reason for office gossip.
2. Their break time almost always coincides with yours. No matter how busy their schedule, they’d try to take their break at the same time as you. Probably a means to interact with you outside the office. During your break, they try to impress you with their intelligence, suaveness, humor, and modesty.
3. Blinks a lot. The brain associates rapid blinking or batting eyelashes with sexual attraction. So when next you come across your possible crush, and you catch them blinking rapidly, you might be onto something.
4. Jealous much. They just can’t help it. When someone likes you very much, they will get very possessive of you, although they may do their best to hide this reaction. They get jealous when someone of the opposite gender is getting too close to you. You may notice this jealousy in their constant irritatable words or actions when the opposite sex is talking with you.
5. They want to see you outside the office. One way to know signs someone likes you at work is their eagerness to get together with you outside the office. Time off work is precious, and they could use that time with their friends and family, or some other important tasks. When they try to do something with you outside work hours, the chances are that they are into you.
6. Finds a way to be close to you during meetings. It is no longer a coincidence when they always somehow maneuver their way to sit by your side or opposite you. This ” accidental” sitting arrangement could be quite distracting for both of you, especially if you like them too.
7. Help you out all the time. No matter how busy their schedule, they would always find time to help you out at work. Sometimes, they hurriedly offer their help before you even know you needed it. This is because they pay attention to you. They watch every nuance on your face, and they pay attention to the smallest inflection of your voice. So they can almost, always tell when you need assistance even without you asking.
8. They are interested in your love life. They might not outrightly ask if you are single, but they may ask some funny questions that could lead to you proclaiming your relationship status. For instance, they may say “how about some drinks after work? That is if someone isn’t waiting for you at home.” Beyond wanting to hang out with you outside work, they want to know if there’s a significant other in your life waiting for you to come home.
9. Your special days are remembered. They don’t forget to get you a gift on your birthday or any special day in your life. Though they might be just some colleagues at work, they pay attention to what’s special to you and try to turn up for you in those moments.
10. They open up to you. When someone is into you, they could tell you a lot of personal stuff they wouldn’t just tell anyone. Their feelings for you give them this sense of security that they could tell you anything about themselves.
