Feelings can be confusing, even to us who are feeling them, especially if you feel that you like someone for the first time in a while. Knowing if you like someone isn’t as tricky as it sounds as long as you know the things to look out for.
In this guide, we’ll talk about 10 ways to know if you like someone, from how you think about them to allowing sexual advances. Keep reading for a breakdown of the whole process of how to tell if you really like someone.
1. You Think About Them A Lot
The first sign to know you like someone is if you’re always thinking about them. The more times they cross your mind, the more likely that you have feelings for them.
Our minds are drawn to things we have a strong emotional pull towards. If you are happy, your mind will be focused on the object of your happiness. If you are sad, your mind will be focused on the object of your sadness.
If you feel the thrill of love, your mind will be focused on the thing or person producing these feelings. You will think about them a whole lot: in fact, they may even show up in your dreams!
This is a thing. It happens. I have dreamed about people I liked one too many times. Each time it happens, I jerk away and laugh. “I must really like this person.”
You like someone if you think about them a lot. (Read: 10 Signs Your Male Coworker Likes You)
2. You See Them Differently
This is another big sign you like someone. We humans, you see, are as subjective as we are objective. This is because we have free will and can think our own thoughts independently.
When you like someone, your thoughts about them will be independent of what others think about them.
Others would see the worst about them, literally, but you will see the best.
There is a saying that when you love someone, they can do no wrong in your eyes. I doubt it is” “No wrong.”
But for a fact, when you like someone, they will be able to do only very little wrong in your eyes.
Even when they sometimes disappoint you, you will wave these disappointments away as one of those things. That is what love feels like.
Seeing the best in someone? I can tell you already like them.
3. You Make Excuses for Them
Love makes excuses. If you have ever doubted that, you should not doubt it anymore. Love makes excuses!
Kay, a medical school undergrad, told us: “I knew I liked him the moment I started to make excuses for him. He would literally flake on me and make me feel weird, but I will make excuses for him.”
Even though Kay’s relationship ended up being a toxic one, yours does not have to be.
As much as you make excuses for the person you like, do not let these excuses perforate your boundaries when you both get together.
Only allow excuses for random mistakes that could not have been avoided.
Read: 10 Things Guys Do When They Like You
4. They Have an Influence on Your Mood
If you notice that someone has a big influence on your mood, then you sure like that person. By influence, I mean they are able to alter your mood easily.
For example, you may have been having the best day of your life when someone calls to say something has gone wrong with them. If you do not like this person, you are only going to empathize and say sorry; depending on your personality, you may even ask if there are ways you can help.
You will react a lot differently, though, if you like this person.
You will do more than empathize. You will be very bothered and maybe even start to freak out.
The same thing happens if you have been having a bad day and they come to you with good news; you will immediately feel very relieved.
When you like someone, they will be able to make your day. (Read: 10 Signs That Reveal You Have Chemistry With Someone)
5. You Feel Jealous
Instinctively, all higher animals, including us humans, hoard things that make us feel better. This includes even people, especially if we feel like these things are in limited supply.
In a relationship setting, this desire to hoard often shows up as healthy jealousy and is one of the telltale signs that we like someone.
Jealousy shows up in many forms, and these are fine as long as it does not lead us to control other people.
You know if you are showing healthy jealousy if:
- You are possessive: you want to “own’ the person. That is, you want to be the only one who has access to their mind and body. This possessiveness is healthy jealousy and shows that you must deeply care about that person.
- You want to know where they are: this is another big sign that you like someone. If you always want to know where they are and what they have been up to, then you must really like them.
- You scrutinize their friends: believe it or not, our instincts are quite strong and protective. If you are in the habit of scrutinizing someone’s friends, that is your mind telling you: “You have to check this person’s friends out so they do not hang around the wrong people.”
- You expect healthy jealousy from them as well: not only will you be jealous when you like someone. You will expect them to be jealous of you as well. (Read: 10 Cute Things Guys Subconsciously Do When They Like You)
6. It is Easy to Talk to Them
Another sign you like someone is the ease associated with talking to them.
With someone you do not like, talking is going to be quite difficult. You will find it very hard to open up to them. And if they, perhaps, pry further, you will experience full-blown irritation.
On the other hand, when you like someone, talking to them is going to be pretty easy.
You will be able to talk to them for as long as you want. Sometimes, they will be the only person you have been talking to for a long while.
You will be fine with texting them way into the night.
Laurel from Louisville, Kentucky, says: “Talking to someone I like is just different. I do not even know how much time has gone by until it is time to sleep.”
7. You Remember Details About Them
Ever spoken to someone who remembered even the deepest details about you? So much that you were surprised and went: “How did you ever remember that?”
Well, chances are, this person liked you. And you like anyone whose details you remember with ease.
If you find yourself keeping records of dates and making memories that surround a particular someone, then you can be pretty sure that you like them.
It is even clearer if you act on these details by either asking questions or giving gifts.
You could say things along the lines of: “Hey, whatever happened to the cloth you told me about weeks ago?”
Or you could just gift them gifts.
Read: How To Tell a Guy You Like Him
8. Your Ego is Non-Existent Around Them
We all have egos. And this is not a bad thing. In fact, in many ways, it is a good thing because it protects us and, at the same time, points us in the right direction—it helps us understand our own feelings.
One of the ways ego can help us is by showing us the people we like or dislike.
With people we dislike, our ego is usually very pronounced. They could do as little as pronounce our name wrongly, and we will feel very offended.
On the other hand, with people we like, our ego is often non-existent.
We will not bother about what they think of us if we double text or what they will say if we confess our feelings. We just don’t feel the need to raise our egos.
9. You Respect Them Deeply
A deep sense of respect is almost always part of love. In fact, I do not think that love can exist without a strong pull toward respect.
When you find that you respect someone and their boundaries quite deeply, then it is likely that you have strong feelings toward them.
Sometimes, respect means we will become more agreeable.
Agreeability is often seen in love. Because without it, even the strongest love relationships will feel sour.
Do you find that you respect them very much? Then you like them. (Read: 5 Signs She Likes You But Only as a Friend)
10. You Allow Sexual Advances
For many, when they like someone, they instinctively allow sexual advances. Sexual advances are often very pungent when they come from people we do not have any feelings for.
However, with people we have feelings for, we are more open to them.
In fact, we may even want them to show more sexual energy toward us.
If you notice that rather than irritate you, someone’s touches make you really happy; then know that you may just like them.
Summary
Our own emotions can be confusing to us. But if we sit back and pay closer attention, we will be able to see the not-so-subtle signs that we like someone.
