Does my crush like me back or is it a one-sided situation?
When you have a crush on someone, the first thing you might want to know is whether they like you back.
I am sure you don’t want to make a fool out of yourself by misreading their interest in you.
The risk of getting carried away is real.
So, to play it safe, I personally recommend looking for signs your crush likes you.
In this way, you won’t have to worry about crossing any of their boundaries either.
Of course, there is a simpler approach available for you: Confess your feelings to your crush and see how they react.
But, if you’re anything like me, that much uncertainty won’t do you any good.
Showing so much vulnerability and risking getting a negative answer might take a toll on you.
That’s why I strongly recommend looking for signs first.
They’re very helpful in accurately determining whether your crush likes you back or not.
Let’s jump right in!
17 Signs Your Crush Likes You Back
1. Read Their body language
Listen, even if your love interest doesn’t come right at you to clearly talk about their feelings for you, it doesn’t mean they’re not there.
There are numerous non-verbal cues based on body language you should look after, as follows:
- They make prolonged eye contact with you, which is a definite sign there is romantic attraction involved, as this study shows. There is an exception though, if your crush is a shy person then they will have trouble keeping eye contact.
- Your crush leans in when you’re talking to them. According to a feature article from the Journal of Neuroscience, if someone is comfortable with being physically close to you, this means they desire even more closeness.
- You notice their pupils are dilated in your presence. Thanks to the article above, we now know that oxytocin is a chemical that plays an important role in attraction. Among others, it increases pupil dilation.
- You often catch them looking at you with admiration, and you might bump into them when you least expect it.
- They are always smiling back at you when they see you.
If you’re familiar with the above said things, it’s a positive sign your crush likes you.
2. They sometimes sound and act like you
Have you ever heard of mirroring? It’s a body language cue that gives away someone’s interest in you.
This is not only applicable in romantic situations. In fact, when someone mirrors your gestures, facial expression and even uses the same phrases as you, you should feel flattered.
Why?
The scientific name for what is happening is limbic synchrony. Simply put, your crush synchronizes his or her body language with yours and they do this without knowing!
Mirroring one’s behavior is directly involved in building rapport with others, as explained in this journal article.
So, the next time you see them, try this: Cross your arms/do something else noticeable and observe what they do.
If they mirror you it’s a good sign your crush likes you back.
3. They can’t hide their excitement/nervousness
Love and lust are feelings that make us act in countless ways, none of which can be described as composed.
If your crush likes you, you can expect them to either act nervous or get super excited when they see you.
How to detect these signs? Here’s how:
- Their face lights up when they see you
- They look genuinely happy to see you
- They have a big smile on their face
- Your crush’s cheeks are flushed
- Your crush blushes when you talk to them
- They might fiddle with various objects
- They might appear clumsy or silly
4. Your crush touches you lightly and hugs you
When someone touches you frequently it may mean that they…
… feel comfortable being close to you
… desire to become more intimate with you
… want to see how you react to their touch
Getting into someone’s personal space is not something that people do without reason. Just think about it… you don’t make physical contact with people you don’t like.
What kind of touching counts?
- When he or she touches your arm or shoulder as a reaction to something you said or to express encouragement for example
- They pat you on the shoulder or push you slightly and gently with their elbow
- They make prolonged physical contact with you by giving you hugs
5. Your crush initiates conversations with you
Let me ask you this: Are you the one who always initiates conversations with your crush or are times when they reach out to you first?
This detail is especially important because it indicates whether or not they like you. Here’s the thing: when someone does something out of his or her own initiative, take it as a good sign.
It’s a obvious sign of romantic interest.
What’s more, if you also see that they’re trying to keep the conversation going with you, then you should pay even more attention.
In this regard, it’s important to listen to what they’re talking about and to ask them follow-up questions. In this way, you’ll see where they’re coming from.
6. They show genuine interest by asking you questions
Is your crush someone who only talks about themselves or someone who is also curious about you?
If they like you, then it’s natural for them to have tons of personal questions to ask you. In this regard, it’s also recommended to pay attention to what they want to know.
It goes without saying that if they ask you about your relationship status, or if you fancy anyone in particular, they like you.
However, your love interest might not be that daring.
So any question about yourself, i.e. your taste in music, how you drink your coffee, what is your favorite romantic movie, counts.
7. They remember everything you talk about
Another sign that indicates someone’s interest in you is when they remember things about you.
For example, if you casually mention your brother’s birthday is coming up, they might ask you how it was or what present you got for him.
Or, if you tell them one day that you can’t wait to get home to watch a new episode from your favorite show, they could slide into your DMs, later on, to ask you how it was.
Any information about you should stay in their memory if they like you. How so?
When we like someone, we think about them a lot. We tend to think about a short conversation on and on, which in turn makes us remember everything.
8. Your crush opens up to you by sharing secrets
Listen, if your crush makes attempts to get closer to you by sharing a secret or embarrassing stories, then you must know your crush likes you.
Such a gesture indicates they trust you.
As you already know, it is not easy to earn someone’s trust. However, you must’ve done something right since they feel safe to confide in you.
Even if they didn’t share a big secret, the fact that they did tell you something private about them is the only sign you need.
Sharing secrets makes us vulnerable. Can you think of another reason why he or she would show vulnerability to you besides because they like you?
9. Your crush gives you compliments from time to time
Your love interest may not go overboard with paying you compliments.
Even so, try to remember whether they ever made a positive remark about something you did or your personality.
At this point, we’re not referring to compliments about how you look.
We’ll talk about that below.
Examples are:
- You’re so good at explaining things! I always understand things better from you.
- I admire your patience. Our customers tend to be very annoying.
- Is this really the first time you play chess? You got the hang of it pretty fast.
- Thanks for organizing this field trip for all of us. You’re an amazing trip planner.
10. They only have nice things to say about your looks
As I was saying, whether your love interest is a man or a woman, doesn’t matter in this situation. If your crush likes you, they won’t hesitate to give you a compliment.
They could compliment you on your body, the way you dress, how you do your hair, and so on. Expect them to mention everything they like about you.
In this regard, if they get familiarized with your clothes and notice when you wear something new, then you can be sure they like you that way.
You’re on their radar and they’re watching you, maybe more than you think.
11. Even your not-so-funny-jokes make them laugh
Laughing together with your crush has an essential role in romantic attraction. It basically predicts relationship success.
That’s why their reaction to your jokes is revealing. Especially if no one else thinks you’re funny and they’re laughing out loud, that’s a strong sign they fancy you back.
You see, there’s really no connection between humor and intelligence, as shown by this study. So, if you find someone who appreciates your humor, it’s advisable to explore your connection with them.
Until then, you can take their laughs as sign of attraction. Do you also laugh at their jokes?
12. Your crush asks you if you want to hang out
If the person on your mind likes you, they’ll do their best to find out more things about you and to spend time with you to get to know you better.
By doing so, they test how they’re feeling in your presence and express their curiosity about you.
In case they already know a thing or two about you, he or she might ask you to do something together they know you like.
On top of that, they could ask you to hang out at various events or invite you to a group hangout, hoping you’ll get closer and closer.
13. You are their go-to person for times in need
Pay attention to this sign because it’s highly revealing!
What does it really mean when someone picks you to share things with that they don’t share with others?
What does it mean when they reach out to you in times of need?
Feeling they can talk to you about anything, means they like you and they are attracted to you as well.
What they’re trying to do is build a connection based on openness and vulnerability with you.
So, if your love interest contacts you to talk about their problems at work or at home, take it as a positive sign!
14. You notice their friends tease them in your presence
To achieve a better understanding if your crush likes your or not, you should also observe your crush’s friends.
In case you get the chance to hang out with them and their friends, observe their friends’ behavior.
If they tease him and make remarks about you and them, you don’t need any more information. Things are clear: They like you.
Also, expect to be welcomed with open arms in his or her inner circle. As friends, they’ll definitely try to be his or her wingman/woman.
15. Your crush is all over your social media
While it’s true that not everyone who likes your posts and photos is interested in you romantically, someone who does that constantly and also displays other signs listed in this article definitely does.
Just to make sure, ask yourself if he or she does the following:
- They often mention you in comments
- They send you DMs often as well
- They tag you in various posts
- They like your posts and comments
- They post pictures of you together
The ultimate proof they fancy you?
They like your old photos and posts, which means they spent a lot of time scrolling through your social media profiles.
16. Your crush gives away their couple mentality
Here’s an effective exercise: Spot the main difference between the following statements:
A: Your crush says: My favorite DJ plays music at a party this weekend. I am thinking about going. Would you like to come with me?
B: Your crush says: There’s a killer party this weekend. We should go together!
Yes, you got it right! In the first example, he or she is talking about what they like and what they want to do and they ask you to come along.
The second example, however, shows that he or she has a couple’s mentality. Why? Because they are no longer using words like “you” and “me,” they say “we.”
17. They always have time to talk to you and see you
The last sign that should convince you once and for all that your crush likes you back is related to their availability.
If they always have free time to talk to you and meet up and respond immediately, you’re among their priorities and they like you.
Am I right when I say that they pick up your calls, text you back in a timely manner and never cancel your plans?
If I am, then you can rest assured your crush’s feelings are mutual. It’s possible they like you just as much as you like them if not more.
Takeaway:
What are the signs pointing to? Do they like you or not?
Either way, I’ll leave you with an insightful opinion.
I would advise you to gather up the courage and ask your crush out.
It will make this person feel important if you tell them how you feel. In turn, they could reciprocate your feelings.
But, even if they don’t, remember this: It’s not the end of the game. The way you respond to rejection could make this person change their mind about you.
So, keep your head up, stay confident, and don’t lose humor. Show them you are capable of handling a bad situation with grace.
You can read this article to find the best way to tell your crush you like them.
