Is She Interested In Me Or Just Being Friendly: 10 Ways To Tell

One of the most difficult aspects of being single is overcoming the challenges that dating brings, including approaching someone to see if they are interested in you. How often do you find yourself attracted to a person but not sure how they feel about you? It happens more often than you may think. Imagine the stressors associated with that feeling of not knowing. You begin to question yourself about the approach. Imagine a more difficult scenario. What if the person is extremely friendly towards you, but you are unable to determine if this friendliness is an indicator of something more? Yikes!

That happens often and can be intimidating as well as overwhelming. If you are curious if there are ways to tell the difference between a friendly relationship and someone who may actually like you, read on. Knowing the subtle (and not so subtle) signs that a woman is interested in you.

The friendzone

There are various ways to approach a person to ask them out or pursue a more serious relationship. What is the strategy when the person has always been friendly towards you or acted as a friend? It can be awkward, but it does not have to be that way. There is a process to the approach when you are completely unsure if a girl likes you or is just being friendly. It begins by understanding the downside of pursuing someone who is not interested in you.

The friendly person

Some people are friendly by nature. They are always smiling, offering kind words, greeting you with a hug or friendly touch, or other similar gestures. These gestures of friendliness often lead people to believe that the person is interested in them. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In any event, pursuing or approaching someone who is simply friendly by nature and has no romantic interest in you at all can backfire when she just wants to be friends all this time. It can create periods of awkwardness that are sometimes difficult or impossible to recover the comfort level in your friendship.

Here are a few ways that pursuing someone who is just being friendly can have a negative impact on your friendship.

• The "friendly person" may feel insulted that you misread their friendliness for something more

• The "friendly person" may choose to remove themselves from your life completely

• You could ruin the potential for a quality friendship

• The "friendly person" may begin to act differently or strangely in your presence

Distinguish between the two

If you are almost certain that the person may be interested in being more than just friends but want to be sure so your friendship remains solid, there are ways to distinguish between the two. For instance, you may have noticed that she like acts differently around you than when she is around other people. There are a few other factors that will help you determine if she is romantically interested in you or simply being friendly. 

How confident do you feel in figuring out when a friend likes you?

How to tell if she's interested? Here are a few ways to tell if a person likes you, which would allow you to make a conscious decision on whether to pursue them:

Engage eye contact

Body language can be a big indicator as to whether a person likes you or not. If you glance at them and consistently notice that they initiate an extended "glance back" it is likely that they are interested in you (or you have something in your teeth). Eye contact is not always easy to maintain for some people. It makes them uncomfortable or anxious. However, if a person is interested in you and shyly glances at you while you are looking at them, they may like you.

If you are managing anxiety or low self-esteem, you may not be able to engage eye contact with anyone, and you may find it difficult to believe that anyone likes you for more than just a friend. Just remember that when a person returns the same sentiment of eye contact as you feel, this can be a strong indicator that they are interested in you.

Exercise caution with eye contact. You do not want to stare anyone down and cause alarm.

Spontaneous touches

Sitting close to each other or walking by one another in a crowded space, you may begin to encounter spontaneous touches. You might notice that they casually touch your arm, shoulder, or hand during conversations. If a person makes the conscious effort to engage in contact with you, even casually, they may be flirting or attempting to get you to notice that they are interested in being more than just friends.

The reflective character

When talking to this person, if you notice that they have many of the same movements or make the same gestures as you, it could be a sign. When a connection is made between two people, it is typical that they subconsciously begin to mimic each other. They may start to stand and sit alike or execute the same dramatics in conversation. Mirroring the acts of another person is a sign of interest. However, it could simply be admiration or desire to improve themselves in some way, and not necessarily a romantic interest.

They want to know more about you

They have long engaging thoughts about you and have a strong desire to learn as much about you as possible. A person that wants to know your likes, dislikes, hobbies, fears, and deepest thoughts are interested in connecting with you emotionally. They are intuitive and ask questions about your day and your life, personal questions. They strive to keep the conversation going, and you may find that you spend hours talking while giving no attention to the time.

They defend you

This is a major sign that someone is interested in being more than just friends. If a person is quick to defend you or your character, they care about you. It's common for a person to defend someone they're interested in jokingly. They may make passive comments to others like "Don't try and pick up my girl," "Don't keep her out too late," or "You know he's taken a right." These could be hinting that the person may be dropping as a sign of their interest.

There is a little display of jealousy

This is not obsessive jealousy, but instead, the inert form of "I like you" jealousy. Small displays of jealousy will seem cute but not crazy. In a sense, they are expressing that do not want to risk losing you to anyone else or ruining their chance of getting closer to you, On the contrary, a person who thinks of you as just a friend will not display signs of jealousy. They won't care about you dating or spending time with other people because they see you as just a friend.

They call you for any reason

If your "friend" calls you for every big event, minor crisis, or major life decision, or before they make the simplest decision, it is a sign that they value your opinion, and you hold a special place in their life. They inquire about the simplest things such as, "what color shirt looks best with these pants?", "do you think I should make changes to my 401K", or similar questions? Inquiring about personal or life-changing decisions may be a sign that there is more than just a friendly interest in someone.

There is heightened interaction on social media

People who have a genuine interest in someone will eventually connect with them on one or more social media accounts. You may begin to notice that they're liking, commenting, and posting heart-eye emojis to your pics. If you have a large social media following, it may be difficult to notice, but eventually, consistent engagement may become obvious.

The "more than just friends" text are coming more often

There is friendly text, and then, there are “let's be more than friends” type texts. Sometimes, they can be difficult to decipher. If you receive "good morning," "How's your day," "Have you eaten," or "goodnight" texts or calls regularly, you are certainly on their mind. This is a simple but impactful way that a person lets someone know that they are interested in being more than just friends.

They surprise you

Getting surprise lunches, flowers, or other gifts, is not necessarily a sign of complete admiration for you, but a good indicator. Some people flirt endlessly without ever asking them out. They may want the person to notice their effort and respond to it accordingly. Some people are not able to outwardly express their interest in you, but implement kind gestures to show you how much they admire you. If you are getting flowers or other nice sentiments from someone, this most likely is not friendliness, but they are interested in you.

Looking for professional advice

Have you found yourself wondering if is she interested in you or just being friendly more often than usual? Is there someone that you are interested in but not sure if they feel the same? These are both extremely common thoughts to ponder, and it is healthy for you to want to understand the feelings that you have for someone, even if it is just a little crush. You could easily miss a romantic connection because of fear of rejection or you may be dealing with low self-esteem. 

Many people live in a rural location, have busy lives, or are unable to afford the cost of in-person therapy. Fortunately, advances in technology and the advent of virtual therapy have made it possible to receive quality therapy online. Furthermore, studies have shown that online therapy increases opportunities for people to get the therapy they need and is equally effective as in-person counseling in improving mental health and general well-being. Professional counseling provides support and tools to help with relationship anxiety and other self-esteem issues. Trust your instincts and try not to shy away at the opportunity to discover if a person is truly interested in you and wants to be more than just friends. If you are unable to find the strength to do so on your own, a therapist is available to guide you through the journey. 

Takeaway

Approaching a potential love interest is complicated and it is understandable why you may hesitate to ask her if the feeling is mutual. Maybe she is developing feelings for you and if you ask her too soon, she will reject you. Or she simply does not feel the same way. By following the advice in this article, you can be encouraged to find out that she does have the same feelings or have decided it is best to continue your friendship. No matter the decision, what is most important is your mental well-being and comfort in yourself. If these are not safe, do not hesitate to reach for support from a counselor.