When a man truly loves you, he’ll often show it through 11 meaningful, everyday behaviors.
Active listening
He listens to what you have to say, instead of just waiting for his turn to talk. He remembers things you mentioned weeks or months ago because he values what you have to say enough to remember it.
Basically, he wants to know what you think and how you feel about things.
Share burdens
He doesn’t brush you off when you’re feeling overwhelmed or try to fix your problems with a cliché.
He lets you vent and assumes responsibility for your stress by helping you problem-solve, taking something off your to-do list, or simply allowing you to lean on him physically so you can feel like you have less weight on your shoulders.
Protective instinct
He’s not obsessive or controlling; he’s protective in a natural way. He walks on the street side of the sidewalk whenever you are walking together.
He calls you after a night out to make sure you made it home safely. His actions come from a genuine place of wanting you to be secure.
Future plans
When he talks about his future, long or short-term, you’re part of the plan. He brings you up in conversation often because he can’t imagine a life that doesn’t include you.
By casually mentioning you during conversations about the future, he’s subconsciously telling you that he plans on you being a part of his life for a long time.
Unfiltered self
When you’re around, he’s comfortable enough to be himself around you. Casual dating comes with a certain amount of pretense: putting on a brave face, acting like a cool guy, etc.
But when he likes you he opens up to you. He tells you about his fears and his faults and his junk drawers. Basically, he trusts you enough to be completely honest with you without having to seem cool.
Consistent support
He congratulates you when you receive a promotion at work, encourages you to follow your hobbies, and cheers you on even when you’re hitting a wall and don’t believe in yourself.
This man wants to see you win because when you win, he wins too. He loves you so much that he’s willing to be your number one fan.
Subtle sacrifice
He frequently plans activities that he knows you’ll enjoy, even if they’re not his cup of tea. This means, he’s okay with watching your favorite movie for the hundredth time or going to that museum you told him about.
It doesn’t mean he never has hobbies of his own. It just means he’s happy seeing you happy, even if it means sacrificing his own enjoyment.
Noticing changes
He knows you had a bad day at work before you even open your mouth to speak. He sees the changes in you that no one else does because he’s always paying attention when he’s with you.
This is because he loves you and cares about you.
Respecting Boundaries
He will never pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do, whether that be being intimate on the first date or spending every waking moment with him.
He knows you need your space sometimes, and he honors that. This man loves you enough to let you be you, and that means accepting your “no.”
Daily consistency
He doesn’t go days without contact or only reach out when he needs something. He texts you just to say hi, sends you memes he thinks you’ll enjoy, or emails you a “thinking of you” link.
In other words, he makes an effort to show you that you’re on his mind every day.
Conflict resolution
Instead of trying to win an argument or proving that he’s right, he understands that some things don’t have a solution. He knows that love means putting the relationship above his need to be right, so he will always choose you.
Ultimately, he would rather you be happy than prove that he has a bigger dictionary than you do.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
9 signs you’re falling in love with someone
Falling in love means taking someone and weaving them into the very fabric of your day-to-day existence.