20 Ways to Tell if a Man Is Confused About His Feelings for You (2024)

20 Ways to Tell if a Man Is Confused About His Feelings for You (1)

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Is he really into you? Are you reading the signs wrong? What if he genuinely isn’t interested?

One day he’s head over heels for you and acts indifferent the next. How to tell if a guy is confused about his feelings for you isn’t that simple.

You start to ask yourself many questions and take ‘Is he confused about his feelings for me’ quizzes online to figure things out.

Not knowing where he stands makes you anxious. You wonder if there is something you can do to get a clear answer.

Well, in this article, we’re going to talk about the reasons why a guy might be confused about his feelings for you and what you can do about it, along with the signs that a guy is hiding his true feelings from you.

Related Reading: Things to Do if You Are Confused in a Relationship

What does it mean when a guy seems to be confused about his feelings for you?

Before you can do anything about it, you need to figure out what his confusion truly means. Here’s what it might mean:

  • He’s perplexed and can’t figure out how he feels about you.
  • He’s probably going through a difficult time in his life.
  • He doesn’t know how to deal with the feelings he has for you.
  • He might have a commitment phobia.
  • He might have been hurt before and doesn’t want to be in that position again.
  • You might be unknowingly giving him mixed signals.
  • He’s probably unsure about what he wants.
  • They may have feelings for somebody else.

20 ways to tell if a guy is confused about his feelings for you

To better see what you’re up against, let’s look at some ways to learn how to tell if a guy is confused about his feelings for you :

1. He stares at you but looks away when your eyes meet

When a man is into you, it’s normal for him to look at you whenever you’re around. But he might not feel comfortable letting you know his true feelings for you yet.

Hence you might catch him looking at you a little too often, but he looks away as soon as you look at him.

2. He might get close to you and pull away suddenly

When you two are around each other, he’ll find excuses to get close to you. You two might even get too caught up in the moment that he might lean towards you to kiss you.

But that’s where he’ll draw the line when he’s catching feelings for you but isn’t ready to move it forward.

3. He is all over your social media

Isn’t this the safest option to find out about someone’s likes and dislikes these days?

Even though he wants to play it cool and acts like he isn’t paying that much attention to you, a guy will go through all your social media posts when he likes you.

He might not like or comment on your posts because he doesn’t want you to know that he’s catching feelings for you. Or he might just send heart, wink, or blushing emojis to let you feel their presence without being too obvious.

4. His body language says that he’s into you, but he doesn’t admit it

No matter how confused a guy is about his feelings for you and how well he tries to hide them, his body language will reveal his true feelings. Is he unusually nervous when you two are alone?

If he keeps fixing his hair, touches his face a lot, and gets fidgety, it’s because he likes you. Read the male body language that he wants you, and there, you’ll have the answer.

5. He goes hot and cold all the time

When a man is confused about his feelings, his behavior might be erratic.

He might make you feel desired and give you all his attention during the ‘hot’ phase. Then he may pull away just like that and act cold when he feels like he’s catching feelings for you.

6. He seems protective of you

20 Ways to Tell if a Man Is Confused About His Feelings for You (2)

Even though he may not admit it if asked, a guy will protect you if he likes you. No matter if you’re around or not, he’ll defend your name in a heartbeat. He’ll try to make sure you get home safe if it’s late at night.

But thank him for being there for you. He may tell you that it’s nothing, and he’d do the same for anybody. He can’t help protect you because he likes you, but since he’s confused in love, he may act like he doesn’t care that much.

7. He balances a compliment with a tease

He might stare at you and say that you look incredible when you catch him staring. But he doesn’t want to make his feelings obvious, so he’ll instantly crack a joke or start teasing you.

He doesn’t mean to offend you in any way, though.

8. Your conversations just suddenly die

Be it texting or talking in person if a guy suddenly starts acting distant in the middle of a great conversation, it may be one of the signs he is fighting his feelings for you. He doesn’t want to let you know how he genuinely feels.

So, he just stops texting or talking the moment his confusion hits. He may casually text you after a few hours and go silent once you reply. It might make you wonder if he has ghosted you. Then he’d come back and start acting like he never really left abruptly.

9. He acts differently when you’re in a group setting

It should be your first sign if you are looking for an answer to how to tell if a guy is confused about his feelings for you.

He might be flirting with you or showing signs of attraction when you two are alone. But the moment there are other people around, he may seem like a different person.

If he treats you like he’s treating all the other girls there, it’s one of the signs he is fighting his feelings for you.

10. He finds ways to spend time together but doesn’t ask you out on a date

When a man is confused about what he wants but still wants to see you and spend time with you, he might invite you to hang out with his friends or go to the movies.

But since he is confused about his feelings, he might not ask you out for a drink or take you to watch a movie alone.

11. He denies it when others talk about the chemistry you two have

If you two have intense chemistry, it’s only natural that people around you will be able to feel that. But he won’t admit that and will laugh it off if anyone ever mentions that you two would make a great couple.

They’ll get uncomfortable if the subject comes up and says that you’re just friends/colleagues, even though he frequently shows signs he is secretly attracted to you.

12. He gets jealous but tries to hide it

If you’re asking yourself, ‘How do I know if a guy likes me’ or ‘Does he have feelings for me,’ see how a guy reacts when you talk about another guy you like.

If he gets jealous and gives you reasons why you shouldn’t be with that person, it might be because he secretly wants you for himself.

13. His actions don’t match his words

20 Ways to Tell if a Man Is Confused About His Feelings for You (3)

‘Is he fighting his feelings for me?’ you ask. Pay attention and see if he says and does the same thing or not.

He might tell you that you’re the prettiest girl alive and any guy would be lucky to have you, but he won’t ask you out on a date and act indifferent the next day.

14. He wants you to notice him but doesn’t seem to know what to do after that

He tries his best to be attractive around you and dresses well to impress you.

He might tell you things like how much he works out and the new car he’s got. While it might come off as bragging, he’s just trying to get your attention.

When he gets the attention, he doesn’t know how to proceed further, and the conversation dies suddenly.

15. He doesn’t seem to pay attention but remembers every little thing about you

Even though he shows so many signs that he is confused about his feelings and tries to hide them by acting aloof, he does pay attention to whatever you say.

He tends to remember anything from the way you like your coffee to how your childhood was.

16. He asks you lots of personal questions

He sure doesn’t want to commit yet, but he can’t help asking questions to get to know you better. He isn’t a cat person but seems smitten like a kitten about your cat.

It’s because he secretly likes you but doesn’t want to let you know yet.

17. He tries to make you jealous

If he mentions other women while he isn’t actively seeing anyone at the moment, it might be because he wants to make you jealous.

He wants to know how you feel about his attraction to other women. It’s one of the signs that a guy is hiding his true feelings for you.

18. He makes sure you know that he isn’t seeing anybody

While some guys might try to make you jealous when they secretly like you, others may go out of their way to make sure you know that they aren’t pursuing anybody and are single at the moment.

If you see him talking to anybody, they clarify that he isn’t romantically interested in that person.

19. His friends want to know about your love life

How to tell if a guy is confused about his feelings for you?

If his friends are suddenly interested to know if you’re dating anyone at the moment or what you think of their friend, it’s because they’re trying to get information from you to help him decide what to do.

20. He is inconsistent

One way to tell if a guy is confused about his feelings for you is when he finally asks you out on a dateand hetries to keep it casual.

He might text you that he had fun but doesn’t ask you out on a second date after that, leaving you wondering if he is still interested.

Watching this video might help.
20 Ways to Tell if a Man Is Confused About His Feelings for You (4)

What to do when a guy is confused about his feelings?

It depends. How do you feel about him? If you don’t like him romantically, it doesn’t matter if he’s confused about his feelings for you or not.

But if you do like him, here are a few things you can do about it.

1. Openly talk to him

It’s a good idea to let the guy know about your feelings. He might’ve been fighting his feelings due to their fear of being rejected. Either way, open communication is always a solid start.

Related Reading: Open Communication In a Relationship: How to Make it Work

2. Give him time and space

Try not to make him feel like he has to decide right away. Maybe some time to think is all he needs.

Meanwhile, you can give him some space and a chance to miss you. Let him figure out what he truly wants. Don’t panic if he takes longer than you’d imagined.

Related Reading: Let There Be Some Space in Your Relationship

3. Reassure him

Let him know that you understand that he isn’t ready yet. Don’t put pressure on him or try to make him fall in love with you.

It’s better if he comes up with his own decision. While he’s taking his time, keep your cool and make sure to take care of yourself.

However, you can’t wait indefinitely for him to make a decision. So, if he still seems confused after giving him enough time, you may create some distance and move on.

Conclusion

If a guy is confused about his feelings for you and taking their time to move forward, it might feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it’s also an opportunity to explore what a potentially deeper connection might look like. You never know what might happen, including your own feelings, if you don’t give it a go and talk to him.

20 Ways to Tell if a Man Is Confused About His Feelings for You (2024)

FAQs

20 Ways to Tell if a Man Is Confused About His Feelings for You? ›

Avoiding the "relationship talk": He may avoid discussing the nature of your relationship or defining the terms of your relationship. Unpredictable behavior: He may act erratically or unpredictably, changing his mind frequently or not following through on plans. Emotional distance: He may se.

How do men act when they are confused about their feelings? ›

Avoiding the "relationship talk": He may avoid discussing the nature of your relationship or defining the terms of your relationship. Unpredictable behavior: He may act erratically or unpredictably, changing his mind frequently or not following through on plans. Emotional distance: He may se.

How do you know if a guy is fighting his feelings? ›

When a guy is struggling with his feelings, he might be especially hesitant to give your relationship a new label. Notice if he says things like, “But we're such close friends,” or “You're my friend's ex,” whenever conversations start getting a little flirty or romantic.

How do guys act when they are falling in love and are scared? ›

When he runs hot and cold, seeming eager to hang out with you one minute and pushing you away the next, he might be afraid of the feelings he has for you. Acting nervous and fidgety around you could indicate that he loves you but he's afraid you might hurt or reject him.

How do men act when they have feelings? ›

For example, you can watch his body language. He's likely to turn his body towards you when in conversation and to make eye contact with you. He may pay attention to you more than others who are around. He's also likely to try spending time with you more than with others when he's falling in love.

What makes a guy confess his feelings for you? ›

Be open and honest with each other.

If you don't prioritize him or you constantly cancel plans, he'll be much less likely to admit that he likes you. Show him that you like him with your actions. Be a good listener, too. When he talks, make eye contact with him and nod along so he knows you're listening.

How to know if he's not that into you? ›

  • He is distant from you. Meaning He doesn't talk to you as much and or doesn't want to be around u as often as he was.
  • He begins to avoid you. Yeah, I know this one is kinda obvious, but still.
  • He avoids talking about the future.
  • He is often rude and defensive. ...
  • He only ever wants sex.
Dec 14, 2023

Will a guy avoid you if he is developing strong feelings? ›

Some might, yes. He may put up a shield as a defense mechanism, and most of the time it would be due to the fact that his heart has been broken before, and he doesn't want that to happen again. If he really like you, though, he'll generally come around.

How do you know if he's hurt? ›

Here are some signs you really hurt him.
  • He tries to avoid you. ...
  • The smiles and greetings are gone. ...
  • He has stopped talking to you. ...
  • He doesn't acknowledge your presence. ...
  • You get no responses or calls to your messages. ...
  • He blocks you on social media. ...
  • Suddenly, he is seen with someone else. ...
  • Or, he might stop dating altogether.
Feb 20, 2024

Why is he suppressing his feelings for me? ›

Fear of rejection: One of the most common reasons why men hide their feelings is because they are afraid of being rejected. They may worry that if they express their feelings, the woman will not reciprocate, which could be emotionally painful.

How to test a guy to see if he really loves you? ›

First, determine his love language
  • Gift Giving. Gift-giving is characterized by someone who expresses love through giving gifts. ...
  • Quality Time. Quality time tends to be characterized by spending uninterrupted, one-on-one time with a person. ...
  • Physical Touch. ...
  • Words Of Affirmation. ...
  • Acts Of Service.

What are the first signs a man is falling in love? ›

If a man maintains eye contact, shows physical affection, and has a relaxed posture around you, chances are he's falling for you! Equally, if you find your partner subconsciously mirroring your body language or posture, this may indicate a feeling of strong connection and camaraderie.

How do you tell if a guy wants you but is scared? ›

When someone wants a relationship with you but is too scared, they'll look to spend time with you in ways that don't seem like actual dates. For instance, instead of taking the lead and asking you out for dinner and drinks, they may say, "Hey, I'm in your neighborhood.

How do guys act around a girl they are attracted to? ›

When a man is truly interested in a woman, his actions of affection and care speak volumes. One of the most telling signs is when he does favors for you, sometimes even before you ask. Whether it's helping with a task or offering his support during a tough time, these actions show he's invested in your well-being.

How does a man catch feelings for a woman? ›

In loving relationships, men might be likely to see the best in their partners — maybe even viewing the other person more positively than they view themself. Many studies have noted that people with deep romantic feelings hold idealized images of their partners and find them physically attractive.

Why do guys pull away when they catch feelings? ›

Fear of commitment: Some men may fear the responsibility and commitment that comes with a serious, long-term relationship. They may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about their ability to maintain a healthy, loving relationship, and may pull away as a way to protect themselves from potential pain or disappointment.

Why do men get distant when they catch feelings? ›

Yes, some guys might pull away initially when they fall in love. This can be due to fear of vulnerability or past experiences. However, with clear communication and time, they often come back closer, seeking a deeper connection.

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