5 Signs He Likes You Only As A Friend
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When it comes to relationships or dating, there seems to be a stereotype that it’s the women who get extremely picky when it comes to choosing their partner. And it’s the ladies who are hard to bait. But the reality stands that even the men these days get fastidious when it comes to choosing their partner.
The guy might appear very caring and affectionate towards you; all that he does might leave you with the inkling that he’s into you. But does he actually feel the same? You never know, he might want to be just a good friend of yours. There is nothing wrong in being friend-zoned by someone you like. All of us, at some point in life or the other, have or have been friend-zoned.
Evaluating affection can be precarious. But, we need to keep our eyes open for signs that will help us understand if the guy we are hanging out with wants to be just friends or more than that (1).
So, let’s try to clear the air by making use of these tell-tale signs that might throw some light on the fact that he just wants to be friends with you.
1. When He Calls You “Bro” Or “Buddy”
If you find yourself being called as “bro,” “buddy,” “friend” or anything along those lines — he clearly thinks of you as a friend. Yes, just a friend! A guy will never see a girl he is crushing on as a friend or as a bro; it’s like referring to the girl as if she were a member of his boy gang. So, the next time a guy whom you have a liking for “bro-zones” you, take the hint, ladies!
2. He Isn’t Flirting
Our brains are trained to pick up the slightest flirtatious signals around us (2). Use that power to its fullest if you want to know! Even if the guy is crushing on you, he is bound to push those cheesy buttons. If he is unsure about your reaction, he might take it slow and flirt small with the intent to brush it off like a joke, to avoid embarrassment.
Another way around this is for you to try flirting with him. If his reactions are cold, then take it as a “we are just friends” sign.
3. His Behavior Is The Same Everywhere
Behavior is one of the traits that help you understand the personality of a person (3). Observe how he behaves with you when you both are alone versus how he conducts himself when you both are among friends or you have company. He is bound to behave the same if he sees you as a friend. Otherwise, you definitely can’t help but notice the subtle differences in his attitude towards you (if you mean more than a friend). Start observing!
4. If He Is Talking About Other Girls In His Life
When a man is talking to you about his active love life with women or his dating habits, then in all likelihood, he isn’t trying to woo you. Guys are aware that they cannot lure a woman by talking to them about other women in their life. If he is letting you know that he is dating someone or is in a committed relationship, you are just a friend to him. Why? Well, because he is clearly telling you that he isn’t available.
There could be a different catch if he makes a point to tell you that he is in an open relationship — that my friend could be a whole new can of worms!
5. The Way He Introduces You To Others
If he is introducing you to people with a tag that’s purely relative, then you’re definitely being friend-zoned. By relative we mean — if you’re his co-worker, a classmate, a dance partner, a social organization fellow member, he uses these exact terms when he introduces you to others. This clearly states that you’re nothing more than just a friend to him.
When a guy is interested in you, he usually emphasizes how much you mean to him through his words when he is talking about you to his friends. He makes sure his friends and family understand you. He will never use any generic term when talking about you. If you notice that his words or actions are insipid when around other people, take it as a sign that he’s just not that into you.
If you find yourself being friend-zoned by someone you’re crushing on, don’t get upset. Don’t let the heartbreak’s get to you. There are plenty of fish out there. While friendships are important, you need a whole lot of other emotions to get to the next level. Therefore, don’t make the mistake of sulking over one person; rather, open up to all the possibilities around you. Perhaps, your perfect love story is yet to be written.
