10 Psychological Signs Someone Truly Likes You

Curious if your crush likes you back or if someone is interested in you? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

When someone is into you, they often display subtle behaviors that can be easy to miss. These signs are not always clear or direct, leading many people to overlook them.

Now imagine this conversation:

“Hey, remember our college days? I had a crush on you back then. But you never seemed to notice.”

“What? Seriously? I liked you too and tried to give you hints, but you never responded. So, I thought you weren’t interested after all.”

I’ve heard so many conversations like this.

And to be honest, I’ve also had this type of conversation at least twice in my life.

But each time, it was too late 🙂

You liked someone, they liked you back, but you missed the signs they were giving — or they missed yours.

Only later do you realize there was mutual interest. Sounds familiar? Well, it’s a common story…maybe too common!

10 Signs Someone Genuinely Likes You

It can be tough to understand if someone likes you. If you think about it, it’s almost impossible to know for sure – unless they tell you outright or you ask them. Right?

However, there are a few indicators that can help you know if someone is into you.

As you’ll see, the common theme is this: when someone is into you, they will show it through their actions and behaviors, not just words.

Here are some hints that can help you figure out if the person you’re interested in likes you back.

Why listen to me? I’m Sira Mas and I’m a relationship coach. I write about self-improvement, love, dating and psychology. My work has been featured on large publications such as Mamamia, Plenty of Fish, Ladders, Entrepreneur and Thrive Global.

1. Physical Closeness

When someone is into you, they might unconsciously move closer to you when you’re together.

If they do, it’s usually a good sign. People tend to lean towards those they like.

And the tendency to lean in increases as rapport grows.

For over fifty years, researchers have found that one of the strongest indicators of attraction is physical proximity.

When we like someone, we enjoy being near them. The closer we get, the more we appreciate it.

Sometimes, we might even initiate physical contact.

When we don’t like someone and they get too close, we often feel uncomfortable and distance ourselves.

2. Remembering the Small Things

I’ve noticed this sooo many times.

For instance, a few years ago, I was dating a guy named James. A few weeks into dating, I realized he remembered many details from our first conversations.

I wasn’t sure if he had a great memory or if he was more interested in me than I thought.

Eventually, he told me he was looking for a serious relationship.

He was a great guy, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same, so we ended up as friends.

Later, I liked a guy, who was part of my friend group.

Sadly, he couldn’t remember basic things about me — like the city I was from, my neighborhood, or my job.

Then, one day, I saw him with a stunning blonde woman, and I understood why he remembered almost nothing about me.

I just wasn’t his type. And clearly he wasn’t that into me.

The point is this: we tend to remember what we care about and forget what we don’t.

When someone consistently remembers details about you, they might genuinely like you — especially if they show other signs.

Someone who isn’t into you instead, won’t notice the small details.

3. Effort in Conversation

Years ago, I attended a Sunday night party. My friend Robert, who shared many interests with me, was there.

We liked each other but were both quite shy. That night, we sat in silence.

Then, out of the blue, he asked, “Are you watching any series lately?”

Later, he asked, “What countries would you like to visit?” and “What book are you reading?”

Yes, he asked a lot of questions.

At that moment, I realized he was trying to keep the conversation going.

I loved that.

We talked for three hours until I had to leave to catch the last bus home.

Research shows that one of the most common signs someone likes you is their effort to keep a conversation going.

They search for new topics and find common ground.

If you think about it, it’s an obvious sign someone likes you.

And it’s probably one of the best ways to know if your special person likes you back.

Think back to the last time you were with someone clearly interested in you.

Did they try to spark conversations? Did they actively keep the conversation going?

Or did they passively answer your questions without showing much interest?

4. Genuine Smile

When someone is attracted to you, they often smile, making direct eye contact, with a slow glance away, but maintaining the smile.

We frequently smile when interacting with people we like, but when we are truly attracted, the rate of smiling increases.

There’s a way to distinguish between a genuine and a fake smile. A genuine smile involves more facial muscles.

This is called the Duchenne smile, involving the joint action of two facial muscles.

The zygomaticus major muscle lifts the corners of your mouth while the orbicularis oculi raises your cheeks, causing laugh lines around your eyes.

5. Curiosity

This ties in with the third point.

When I’m interested in someone, even just as a friend, I want to know more about them.

When I have a romantic interest, that curiosity multiplies.

Consequently, I have many questions.

Psychologist William James called curiosity “the impulse towards better cognition,” meaning it’s the desire to understand what you don’t know.

We tend to be curious about what we can’t fully understand, especially if there’s some mystery. Our need to know drives our behavior.

Research shows curiosity is a key motive influencing human behavior.

A clear sign someone is curious about you is they will ask a lot of questions, not just to you but also to your friends.

For this reason, curiosity is often one of the most important signs someone likes you.

6. Nervousness

Research shows a correlation between anxiety and attraction.

That’s why many of us get nervous, blush, or even sweat when we see someone we like.

One of the most common signs of nervousness is blushing. It occurs when an emotional trigger causes your glands to release adrenaline.

Adrenaline’s effect on your nervous system causes the capillaries that carry blood to your skin to widen.

This brings blood closer to the skin’s surface, causing you to blush. It’s something you can’t control.

The point is this: when someone blushes, stutters, or sweats around you, their body is reacting to something they can’t control.

It might be an emotional response to seeing you. This is why it’s one of the clearest signs someone likes you.

So, it’s always a good idea to pay attention to the context.

7. Making Time for You

Rick Warren once said,

“When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.”

When someone likes you, they make time to see you. If you’re dating someone who likes you, they will try to meet you frequently.

This also applies when you’re not dating.

In this case, they will find ways to see you, like joining group gatherings or attending events where they know you’ll be.

An example is Bob, a friend who liked Giulia, a girl who hung out with our group. We all knew he liked her.

Before meeting Giulia, Bob rarely joined us. He might come once a week or every two weeks.

After meeting her, he started joining us twice a week — to talk with her. And we were right. He was clearly smitten with her.

Fast forward to today, they are happily married.

8. Rescheduling When Busy

This ties in with the previous point. And when figuring out if someone likes you, it’s one of the main things to watch for.

As I explained in an article about signs a girl likes you, it’s possible someone can’t see you on a particular day.

This doesn’t mean they’re not into you.

Keep this in mind: There’s a big difference between someone saying, “I can’t, I’m busy,” and saying, “I’m sorry, I have plans today, but I’d love to see you. How about Friday?”

If someone shows they want to see you, their interest is probably genuine.

For example, if you want to see them today but they have a job interview, if they genuinely like you, they’ll suggest another day.

If someone makes you feel like you’re bothering them, they’re probably not that interested.

Or they might have lost interest.

In that case, respect yourself and move on.

9. Body Language

People often point their feet towards what interests them.

Someone pointing their feet towards you doesn’t necessarily mean they’re in love, but it indicates interest.

If their feet point towards the exit, they might be thinking about leaving.

Instead, when someone likes you, they might angle their bellybutton towards you.

10. Behavior Changes

If someone seems relaxed with their friends but changes when you enter the room, they might like you.

The opposite is also true. Someone who likes you might be quiet until you arrive, then start talking loudly to get your attention.

While this sign alone doesn’t mean someone likes you, if it happens often and you see other signs, it could mean they’re interested.

Final Thoughts

It’s tough to know if someone likes you. In fact, knowing for sure if someone likes you is nearly impossible — unless they tell you.

However, small signs like how close they sit to you, how much they remember about you, and the time they spend with you can help you understand if someone likes you.

A person interested in you might show these signs or at least a few of them.

If they don’t make a move and you’re still wondering, the best thing is to take the first step and ask them.

Life is too short to waste time overthinking.

Featured Image: Valentin Tikhonov on Pixabay