7 Body Language Signs Someone Is Really Into You, According To Psychology
How someone's body betrays how they feel about you.
Timothy Dykes | Unsplash Whether you're fluent in it or not, body language is one of the ways that we communicate — and it can also reveal if someone's into you. If you can figure out what a person is telling you by the movements of their face, hands, torso, or even legs, you can get a better idea if you should pursue anything with them or move on.
By studying someone's body language, you can become a kind of human lie detector. To help you accomplish this, we've put together a list of 7 body language clues people give that are crucial to know whether or not he's into you.
The first thing you need to do is to establish a baseline for the person you're interested in. Be observant, and also listen — the clues are there in their body language; it's up to you to interpret them.
Here are the body language signs someone is really into you:
1. Their smile reaches into their eyes
A real smile reaches to the eyes and makes little crow's feet. A fake smile stops at the lips. In psychology, a smile that reaches the eyes, often called a Duchenne smile, strongly indicates genuine positive emotions.
It activates the muscles around the mouth and the eyes, signifying a more authentic expression of happiness than a smile that only involves the mouth muscles. Research published in Experimental Psychology suggests that this smile is more likely to be perceived as sincere and trustworthy than one that only consists of the mouth muscles, which might appear forced or polite.
2. Their feet point towards you
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If he's interested in you, he may subtly point at you with his feet, knee, arm, or head. His body is saying, "I want to go in the direction of this person," if he's pointing to you.
If he's pointing away, his body may be shouting, "I need to get out of here, now!" The direction someone points their feet often reveals their true feelings.
2022 research explained that feet are considered one of the most honest indicators of body language, reflecting subconscious emotions and intentions more accurately than facial expressions. If someone's feet are pointed toward you, it generally indicates interest, comfort, and positive feelings toward you, while pointing away signifies disinterest or a desire to leave the situation.
3. They're in your personal space
If he moves out of social space and into your personal space, he's physically putting the moves on you. His body is letting you know that he wants to share an intimate space with you.
4. Their legs are open
We know how to hide our emotions in our faces, but we haven't mastered lying with our legs. If his legs are open, he's confident and staking his territory.
If his legs are crossed, it depends; if the top one is pointed towards you, he wants to get closer to you, if it's crossed the other way, his subconscious is making a play for space.
5. Their chest is angled towards you
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When someone angles their chest towards you, they're telling you that their defenses are down. They aren't shielding their torso or their heart away and are showing their most vulnerable self to you.
When a guy angles his chest towards you, it's generally considered a positive sign indicating interest and potential attraction. Research published by Harvard Medical School explained that it signifies a subconscious desire to be closer to you and open up his body language, suggesting he is comfortable and potentially has feelings for you.
6. They hold eye contact
Everybody knows that liars prefer to avoid eye contact, so they force themselves to look you right in the eye when they're lying. If you want to see if your potential new boyfriend is lying, his stare might not give you the information you're seeking — but his blinks might.
Faster than average (6 to 10 blinks per minute) could indicate that when he says he's going to call you, there's a good chance he's lying.
7. They mirror your actions
If your potential new boyfriend is doing exactly what you're doing, he's mirroring your behavior, and that's a sure sign that he's into you — way into you. His body is saying, "I'm like you and I like you." When a guy mirrors your actions, it can strongly indicate that he has genuine feelings for you.
A 2013 study concluded that mirroring is a subconscious behavior that often happens when someone feels connected or is attracted to another person. It signifies a desire to build rapport and appear more aligned with you. It shows that he is paying close attention to you and wants to be on the same page.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango. She's had articles featured in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Bustle, Medium, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and Woman's Day, among many others.