If you want to know if a guy likes you, then you should pay attention to the body language of men. Our body leaks information that we are not aware of. This information is so reliable that criminologists can use it to detect the truth from deceit.
The great thing about the body language of men is that you can’t fake it. It’s not like a dating profile where you can pretend to be someone you’re not. Body language is an insight into what a man is thinking and feeling at the moment. And that is incredibly revealing.
You no longer have to read between the lines of an ambiguous text message or wonder why he hasn’t called for days. You can decipher what’s going on in his head right there and then.
So let’s get to it.
Secrets to the Body Language of Men: Here Are 22 Nonverbal Signs He Likes You
He will angle his body towards you
Have you ever noticed when a child has a tantrum, they will turn away from you? The phrase ‘to turn one’s back’ means to ignore or show displeasure. It pays to pay attention to the way a person’s body is angled.
If a man is interested in you, his face, chest, hips, and feet will be facing you.
He will stare at you.
I’m not talking about a weird, creeped-out stalking type of stare. Men are first and foremost attracted by what they see. They get stimulated visually. So if they see something they like, they look at it to examine it more.
He mirrors your actions.
We unconsciously mirror a person’s actions when we like them. We don’t know we are doing it which makes it even more revealing if you know to look for it. Mirroring is a powerful way of feeling connected. When people act like us, we like them more. We feel relaxed around them.
His eyebrows raise when he first sees you.
Known as the ‘eyebrow flash’, this is a very reliable nonverbal sign that he likes you. Eyebrows do more than keep sweat and moisture away from our eyes. They are tools that enable us to convey subtle emotional messages and attraction is just one of them.
He shows his top teeth when he smiles.
Have you ever been attracted to someone and found yourself smiling using your top teeth? It’s something you cannot fake and definitely cannot control. It is an automatic reaction to sexual attraction so pay attention if you see it or if it happens to you.
He adjusts his hair/clothes when he sees you.
Have you ever watched a courtroom drama when a lawyer gets up to speak, they always do up their jacket? This is their way of showing they are ready for business.
If your man straightens his tie, slicks his hair back, brushes off lint from his jacket, then he is making himself look his best for you. He’s getting ready for business.
Touches his nose/nostrils flare
Criminologists will look for this tell-tale sign of stress which can indicate deception. Humans have sensitive nerve endings in our noses. Our noses tingle and flare when we are anxious or over-stimulated. Rubbing our nose relieves this tingling sensation.
He takes a deep breath when you first meet.
We ‘take a deep breath’ to steady our nerves if we are in a stressful situation. The same is true in moments of high arousal and passion. Our body reacts to the emotional stimulus received from our brains.
Our adrenaline increases, which then kick-start the ‘fight or flight’ response. Blood is being pumped to our limbs to prepare us and, as a result, we need to take in more oxygen, and quickly. We do this by gulping in long, deep breaths.
He sits opposite you with his legs apart.
When a man feels comfortable and relaxed with a woman, he will be happy to expose his most vulnerable parts – those between his legs. This position is also drawing your attention to his manhood.
He stands with his hands on his hips.
Known as the ‘power pose’, you can imagine him with a superhero costume on to fully appreciate this stance. It is the equivalent of the male species puffing their chest out in a mating ritual.
He angles his pelvis towards you.
When we talk about body language and men, there can be clear sexual signs of attraction. Angling the pelvis towards you is highly suggestive of sexual interest. He is literally pointing his sexual organs at you.
His pupils dilate.
One thing we cannot control is pupil dilation. Whenever we see an arousing image, our pupils dilate, but not because we want to see more of that image. Pupil dilation is linked to the release of dopamine – the feel-good hormone.
Dopamine is associated with feelings of pleasure. Dopamine levels rise when we experience something good. Pupils dilate up to a whopping 45% when we look at someone we love.
He doesn’t blink as often.
Talking of pupils, another sign of male body language is a decrease in blink rate. This could be an indication that he is concentrating solely on your words. He is interested in what you have to say; he doesn’t want to miss a thing. You are his entire focus.
Criminologists call this ‘cognitive overload‘. It is when the brain is thinking hard to stay focused on one subject.
He starts peacocking when you are around.
Peacocking is nothing new. It is the practice of showing off your best assets by having a muscular body, wearing the best clothes with a great haircut, and Hollywood teeth. All to attract attention from women. But if you notice new peacocking behaviour, it might be to impress you.
He places his hand on the small of your back.
The spot just above our buttocks is sensitive and intimate. By touching this area, it indicates a closeness and desire to protect. There is also a controlling element that suggests ownership. He is controlling where you go but he’s also suggesting that you belong to him.
He plucks a hair or brushes dust from your clothes.
When we are attracted to another person, we want any excuse to touch them. We want to look after them. We want to feel a connection to them so we’ll look out for innocent reasons to get close.
Women do this to men in a caretaking kind of role. They will brush off imaginary dust from their man’s clothes to signify to other females that this is their man.
He touches your arm, shoulder, or knee.
Arms, shoulders, and knees are acceptable places to touch another person. We use a brief touch to test how the other person will react. If they don’t back off, it confirms a possible attraction.
His voice gets deeper.
If you find that a guy suddenly starts talking in deeper tones, it is a sign of attraction. One 2018 study found that men’s ‘minimum pitch was lower when responding to attractive than unattractive women’. However, using deep tones is only effective if noticed by the woman.
“Women tend to like men to have deeper voices that are seen as more masculine and linked to testosterone.” Lead researcher Katarzyna Pisanski from the University of Sussex School of Psychology
He leans in towards you during the conversation.
It is natural to want to be close to and hear every word from the person you like. We want distance from those who do not attract us. Leaning in when you are talking means he is interested, not only in what you are saying but in you as well.
He starts to ‘self-soothe’.
This is another tactic used by criminologists to spot anxiety when watching statements given by suspects. If we are under stress, no matter whether this is good or bad stress, our body fills up with tension. This tension has to go somewhere.
It either leaks out in the nostril-flaring or deeper breaths, or the person under stress can comfort themselves by self-soothing. Examples of self-soothing are stroking the arms, the hands, or the legs. Playing with an item of jewelry or clothing or touching their hair.
He licks his lips
Have you ever felt your mouth dry up just before you’ve had to talk in public or make a speech before strangers? This is that fight or flight response again.
The nervous system shuts down any processes which are not essential to our survival, such as digestion and salivation. Our brain will automatically remedy this by making us lick our lips. This is a strong sign of attraction in men and suggests he likes you.
His feet are pointing towards you
One of the best nonverbal signs to watch out for is to see where his feet are pointing. Our feet are the farthest away from our brain and, as such, are very revealing. Often we are not aware of what they are doing so they are good indicators of what we are thinking.
Final Thoughts
Do you recognize any of the above signs of attraction in men? Do you have any other nonverbal signs of body language in men you can share? I’d love to hear from you!
References:
