It is said that a man falls in love through his eyes and a woman through her ears, so speak up all you men out there. Speak up and tell her what she means to you, even if your love ballad sounds like a croak. She would love it anyway!
Love is an overly complex and confusing emotion. It enters your life suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving you overwhelmed. Falling in love changes you completely and you have no control whatsoever over your feelings. It is difficult initially to grasp what is happening to you, the changes you feel within.
It is a new and beautiful feeling and most people need time adjusting and understanding it before expressing it. I have known people who have spent their entire lives gathering up the courage to express their feelings to the one they love. By the time they do, (if they ever do), it is too late.
Her social media account tells them she is no longer single.
Why Do Men Hide Their Feelings?
Men and women are poles apart when it comes to expressing their feelings. To understand why your man is hiding his feelings, let us go back to the roots, to his childhood. Since childhood, boys are taught to be self-reliant.
They are supposed to be tough, the games they play, the company they keep, all of this encourages this “being tough” bug in their minds, unknowingly.
Who has not heard the phrase, “Boys do not cry”? To me, it makes no sense but that is how it has been since time immemorial.
Competitive games, football, wrestling, war games encourage the so-called tough exterior. School is where it actually starts. You cry in front of your friends and you live to regret it forever. You will be labeled a cry baby and which boy wants that?
So, this innocent little boy learns to keep his feelings under wraps. He grows up with it, not realizing it is not natural to do so. What are the tear glands for? Put them to use when needed, let the tears brim over, it is natural.
These rough and tough warriors, devoid of emotions, go out in the world, ready to conquer it. Then love happens to them!
It leaves them dumbstruck!
Boys are taught not to appear vulnerable by expressing their emotions, it would make them appear weak. But the heart does play strange tricks.
Are Boys Emotionally Immature?
It is not fair to blame the boys for their emotional immaturity, they have been brought up in this manner, by society, literally. They grow up in a more complex environment and face harsher conditions, in school and further on in their lives.
They do not want to express their feelings for fear of being considered weak. They are uncomfortable making these grand gestures of love and commitment. Girls on the other hand are more expressive and it is difficult for them to understand why boys are not.
Tips To Know If He Likes You But Is Hiding It
“He loves me, He loves me not” this can be so confusing and frustrating, to say the least. Most of the time if he likes you, he makes it clear and obvious. That is why it can be so perplexing when you think a guy likes you, but you are not 100% sure.
You do not want to waste time pining after someone who is not interested, but it really seems like he is interested, so you cannot let it go either.
Some guys are naturally shy and need time to get the ball rolling.
If you feel that you are getting mixed signals and need help understanding them, then this article will probably be of great help to you. You have come to the right place!
These clues here will help you understand your guy and his intentions better, no matter how hard he tries to hide it from you.
His Body Language Gives Him Away
The simplest way to know if your guy has feelings for you or is interested in you is to observe his body language when he is with you or around you.
He doesn’t realize it but this outward body language is actually expressing what he is feeling inside. It naturally and subconsciously exposes him, and he does not even know about it.
One of the most obvious body language traits that will show you he is attracted to you will be that he copies your body language. He will sit the same way; copy the way you stand or hold his hands in the same way that you do while you talk to him.
He will also always face his body towards yours so that he is showing you that you are his only priority and he is fully focused on you.
Even if his whole body is not faced towards you, his feet definitely will be. So next time you are not sure how he feels for you, observe his body language closely. It is a sure giveaway.
Another subtle way to know if he is interested in you is to look into his eyes.
Does he hold eye contact with you? Do his eyes follow you wherever you go? Do you see those pupils enlarging when he looks at you?
These are all telltale signs that he is attracted to you and you can be sure you are on the right track. Look into his eyes and see where they move.
He Will Offer To Help You
If a guy is interested in you and is not ready to express his feelings, one of the easiest ways for him to be happy is to try and make you happy. The simplest way is to offer help whenever he can.
This will not come off as if he is interested in you but rather like a friend or a nice person offering help. So, he succeeds in hiding his feelings. Well, almost, because now you know why he is trying to be so helpful.
Is he always offering to carry your bag for you? When you talk to him about your problems does, he always come up with solutions? Does he even offer to help you in bigger ways, like financially?
He is not doing all of these things just because he is a kind person. He is doing it because he wants to make your life better and easier, and if he can provide this for you then he wants to.
He Tries To Dress To Impress You
Have you noticed that the guy is dressing up much smarter now when he is around you? Not just the clothes, he is even working out at the gym and looking fitter.
If he likes you and is attracted to you, he will start putting in effort with the way he dresses when he is around you or with you.
Surprising, because you bumped into him the other day and he looked a lot scruffier and untidy. What does that tell you? Of course, he is trying to impress you with the way he dresses and looks.
This is something that he can do without you getting too suspicious that he is doing it for you. You might just think that he has decided to get fit or shopped for new clothes.
But a guy doesn’t just go out shopping and now that you know, you might be able to notice that he’s only making an effort with his appearance when he is around you, otherwise, he doesn’t bother.
He Will Look For Excuses To Meet You
Is this guy looking for excuses to meet you? If he is, then there is definitely more to it than meets the eye.
He is finding reasons to be close to you. By close to you, I do not mean just physically but also emotionally. He wants to be the guy you share things with.
He will always be the first person to ask you how you are doing. It may appear to be just a friend asking another friend, but mind you, his intentions are romantic.
He wants to be the person you tell everything to and have trust in. Once he is this person in your life, then he might find it easier to then confess how he feels towards you.
He will also want to be physically close to you. He might make excuses to be in the same place that you are, so if he knows you are going somewhere for a party, he will try and be there too.
Even when you are together, he will always stand by you, and he might even try to stand really close so that your bodies are touching and he is as close to you as he can be without making it obviously romantic.
He Will Behave Nervously Around You
Everyone shows nerves in different ways. If your Guy is nervous around you, then it becomes quite obvious, he will not be able to hide the fact that your proximity makes him nervous.
What does that mean? You are important and he is romantically attracted to you.
The fact that he is trying to hide his feelings from you, makes it worse. He will show strange nervous behavior because he cannot control his feelings when he is near you.
Do you notice him sweating when he is with you? Does he have clammy sweaty palms? Maybe he fidgets while talking to you. These are signs of a fluttering heart.
Observe his behavior when he is near you, he is trying to hide his attraction for you but in vain.
He Always Texts You Back
If a guy is not interested in you, he will not reply to your messages. If someone does answer for a while and does not engage much in talking to you, then those few texts were also out of politeness.
But if your guy always responds to your texts and that too in a timely manner, then consider it a huge hint.
He will also continue and try keeping the conversation going, instead of letting it fizzle and end. He might initiate new things to talk or text about and try and keep you engaged for long.
He will even remember the conversations with you and quote them.
Stalker Alert!
In today’s world, being an active spectator of someone’s social media is a way to convey your interest.
Even if he wants to play it cool, he probably will not be able to help “liking” your statuses, watching your stories, or even commenting on your pictures.
He will like the idea of being on your mind, and he will definitely want to stay updated on your life. He will be there liking all your pictures and commenting without making it appear as if he is stalking you.
He might ask who a guy in one of your social media pictures is, this is a sure sign that he is attracted to you but is holding back for whatever reasons.
He Does Not Talk To You About Other Girls
If a guy is interested, the last thing he will do is talk about other girls to you.
Even if you talk about and appreciate other girls in front of him, he will dismiss the topic and change it. He will never take this chance because he wants you to believe that he is available for you.
It does not matter here that he is trying to hide his feelings from you, he will still keep all talks of other girls, at bay and will focus only on you.
Teasingly referring to himself as your boyfriend is a slick way for a guy to get a peek at what your reaction would be.
It feels like a safe option because he can hide behind the implication of a joke if it does not go well. Monitor your response to this thoughtfully because he will definitely be searching for you for clues.
How do you know if a guy likes you but is scared or nervous?
If a guy likes you, the first thing that gives him away is his body language. Observe carefully. He will look for excuses to be around you. Whenever he gets a chance, he will ask you questions about you to get to know you better.
He will remember every little detail about you. His friends would know that he is attracted to you but is not ready to express. He will come to you with his problems and seek your advice. You will catch him staring at you when you are with friends.
How can you tell if a boy is trying to get your attention?
Here again, it is his body language, which speaks volumes. He will invariably turn towards you and look at you most of the time. He will lean towards you while talking and look in your eyes.
Everything is visible in the eyes; they are the mirrors of the soul. If you catch him looking at you whenever he gets a chance, know that he finds you attractive and it’s his way of getting your attention.
How do you make him confess his feelings?
If he is nervous to admit that he has romantic feelings for you, there is a possibility that he is scared you might not reciprocate his love. You can take over the reins if you like here.
Boost his confidence by telling him that you like certain things about him. Encourage him to express his true feelings. You can also be blatant and tell him you like him and ask if he does too.
Why do men pull away when they are falling in love?
Men are usually not as expressive as women are when it comes to matters of the heart. They are surely capable of intense emotions, but love is amazing and when it happens to them, they are not sure of themselves and their feelings. They are scared of how they feel.
The feeling of falling for someone suddenly is full of uncertainty and they are confused. They tend to dip in and out, feeling intense emotions and then pulling back. It does not mean he does not love you; he just takes time to accept the fact that she is important enough to be his soul mate.
Will a guy avoid you if he starts to have stronger feelings for you?
This is typical of boys who are shy by nature. Some boys will start avoiding the girl who they are attracted to. This is because they feel confused and scared of their feelings, scared of love not being reciprocated. He does not want her to know he is having strong feelings for her and that causes him to get anxious around her. So, he would rather retreat and avoid it altogether.
Ending Thoughts
What do you do if you can tell he likes you, but he still has not made a move?
Tell yourself that he might never do it. Whether it be out of insecurity or just that he is not in the right place for a relationship, he may never act on his feelings. If that is the case, do not do all the work for him. You deserve to be with someone who will meet you half-way.
Once you are comfortable with the idea that it might not be in the cards, feel free to try sending him a message. If he is terrified of being rejected, behaving flirtatiously might be enough to spur him into action.
Show your interest in him but again you want him to meet you in the middle here. Smile laugh at his jokes and offer him undivided attention when he speaks. Show your appreciation for him.
I hope this article has helped you in understanding if your guy likes you but is hiding it. If you both manage to break the ice, all the best to both of you.