Unless you’re a mind reader, it can be pretty hard to tell if someone likes you. No one wants to come right out and say they’re into you unless they have some reason to believe it’s mutual, so you may be left guessing for quite a while. This is especially true when he’s a bit too nervous to make a move in case you don’t feel the same. That’s why it’s up to you to notice the signs that a guy likes you but is afraid of rejection.
- He remembers little details about previous conversations. If a guy likes you, he’ll hang on to your every word. He wants to know you, and he’ll snap up any clues he can pick up, however trivial they seem to you. Even things as uninteresting as what you had for breakfast or how long it takes you to drive to work will be stuck in his mind and resurface when you next have a conversation.
- You seem to bump into each other a lot. Is it a coincidence that you keep seeing each other in seemingly random places? Unlikely. While fate may be trying to throw you together, it is just as likely that he is orchestrating “accidental” meetings just so he can talk to you without having to admit that he has feelings for you and wants to spend time with you even if he doesn’t want to come out and admit it.
- He finds reasons to touch you. You may not notice this unless you look for it, but pay attention and it will be obvious. Does he stand closer to you than other people do? Does he touch your arm when he laughs at one of your jokes? Does he “accidentally” touch your feet under the table? If you start to notice a pattern of seemingly incidental touch, it’s probably anything but a mistake. This is one of the biggest signs a guy likes you but is afraid of rejection. Otherwise, he’d probably be a little more forward about it.
- He’s shy around you. Even the most confident and extroverted guys get nervous around women they like. He wants to impress you and doesn’t want to betray how much he likes you. If he seems more nervous around you than he does around other people he knows, it’s probably because he is more concerned about your opinion of him than anyone else’s. He wants you to like him but is terrified that you won’t if he does or says something wrong.
- He doesn’t leave you hanging. Whenever you send him a text, he responds quickly. He never leaves your messages on “read” like other guys you’re texting do. He wants to make a good impression and show you that he’s attentive. He thinks about you all the time and never lets too much time pass without checking to see if you’ve messaged him.
Signs a guy likes you but is afraid of rejection
- You often catch him looking at you. You may think you’re the one who can’t help but steal a glance at him, but in reality, it’s a two-way street. Feeling his eyes on you when you’re not talking to each other is a clear sign that he likes you, especially if he quickly glances away when you look in his direction. This proves that he can’t help but look at you, even when he knows it risks revealing his feelings.
- He finds things you have in common. No little commonality goes unnoticed. He is delighted when he finds out that neither of you likes putting sweetener in your coffee or that both of you saw the same film in the theater when it came out six years ago. He finds every excuse he can to highlight your similarities, hoping that at some point, you’ll realize how compatible you are with each other.
- He likes all your posts. He’s one of the first people to like something you post on social media. He may not dm you every time you add a new photo, but he’s clearly monitoring your activity and doesn’t mind you knowing it. By liking all your photos and viewing your stories, he’s signaling to you that he’s interested and leaving the door open for you to make the next move. This is one of the biggest signs a guy likes you but is afraid of rejection — he’s trying to show you from afar without being too obvious about it.
- He laughs at all your jokes. Sure, you may be a natural comedian, but it’s also possible that when he laughs, it’s because he really likes you. Laughter is one of the ways we inadvertently reveal who we have crushes on. We laugh at the jokes of people they’re attracted to and try to make them laugh. If most of your interactions involve a lot of humor, it may be because you really like each other.
- People notice your chemistry. Your friends nudge you whenever he’s around and tease you about how he looks at you. When it comes to mutual attraction, you are not the most objective person in the room. Sometimes it takes outsiders to see how strong your chemistry is because you are too nervous around him to notice that your attraction is mutual.
- He tells you. If a guy actually gets up the nerve to tell you that he likes you, believe him! It took a lot of courage, especially when he’s afraid of being rejected by you, to admit how he feels. You may find it difficult to accept this, especially if you have low self-esteem or are really attracted to him in return and think it may be wishful thinking, but there is no clearer sign that he’s into you than hearing it from him. Even little throwaway comments are revealing. If he says, “You’re so great,” or “you’re amazing” in an off-handed way, it’s as good as an admission of love.
