If A Man Secretly Likes You, He'll Usually Display These 4 Weird Behaviors
Attraction often slips out in quirky, unexpected ways.
Circle Creative Studio | Canva The signs he likes you (and may even be falling in love) aren’t always obvious, or even particularly conducive to making a relationship work. Sometimes a guy sends clear signals. He may text you, call you, or send a dozen roses for no reason at all.
Or, he may tell you he likes you outright. When this happens, it’s easy to feel secure in your relationship. He likes you. You like him. But, more often, the signs a guy is falling in love are vague and confusing.
If a man secretly likes you, he'll usually display these 4 weird behaviors:
1. He gets very serious or quiet
One of the signs a guy likes you is his level of seriousness. He may seem quiet and pensive and take your conversations with the gravity of a dissertation. He may even come off a little boring, asking you to tell him about your job as a CPA, for instance.
It can seem a little bit like he's interviewing at times, but he’s merely playing it safe. During this phase of the relationship, 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
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Another sign a man likes you involves his approach. If he is formulaic in the way he says and does things. For example, waiting exactly three days to call you is often because he fears the errors that might come with spontaneity. He’s uncomfortable with the thought of losing you, so he acts subdued in his approach.
Another way this might manifest is that he might act like an oddly macho man. Men are socially conditioned to go into macho mode 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, as supported by a study of the socialization of boys and men.
3. He acts cocky and brags
Often, men brag in an attempt to build value. 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 show what he can offer.
Researchers examined "bold and the bashful" men and their approach to initiating relationships. The results showed how "self-esteem, gender, and interpersonal risk interact to predict how far people are willing to venture out of their safe harbor to initiate romantic relationships." And for a lot of men, bragging to impress is the right balance for risk and reward.
4. He doesn't try to kiss you
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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, and you might conclude he’s not attracted to you or you’re not his type.
If he’s slow to respond to your advances, it might simply mean he’s afraid of moving too quickly and ruining the relationship in the process. Even if you’re giving him the green light, he may still fear rejection or ruining the chance at a real connection.
The signs a guy likes you (and may even be falling in love with you) can be obvious, subtle, or somewhere in between. If you go into the relationship assuming he likes you, that he is interested, and you have a chance of making it work together, your odds of finding a solid relationship skyrocket.
Clayton Olson is an International Relationship Coach, Master NLP Practitioner, and Facilitator specializing in dating, empowering men and women, self-esteem, and life transitions. He has 20 years of experience working to optimize human behavior and relational dynamics.
