A man can pretend and hide his feelings due to uncertainty and because of his ego. Either way, when he is hiding his feelings for you something will seem off. Even though he will try to pretend that he isn’t feeling anything special, at some point his actions will prove the contrary. Love life is such a chess game of feelings and emotions. Therefore, confusion is part of it, hence it exists a fine line between pretending not to like you and not liking you. If a guy is a player and just wants you around, you will feel incomplete. In this situation, you will be the one who puts more effort to be around him and pursue him. The confusion might never end until he expresses his feelings or makes the first move. Nevertheless, here are 14 signs he is pretending not to like you:
1. He is vulnerable with you
A guy who is pretending not to like you will be vulnerable with you. This is a simple way that a man will give indirect signs that he likes you. When a guy likes you, he will try to connect with you on a deeper level. Being vulnerable is the first step to being emotionally attracted to you. He might not mention directly that he has feelings for you but you will feel quite safe with him. When a guy shows his vulnerability to you then this means that he feels comfortable. He opens up about his drive and passion. In this case, he might even include indirectly what his future holds and if you’re a part of it.
2. He gives you special attention but tries to hide it
One of the main signs he’s pretending not to like you is when he gives you special attention but doesn’t admit it. Now, he might feel resentful and act hot and cold. He does this because there is a reason that puts his actions to hold. He might be afraid to admit these feelings to himself first and then to you. On the contrary, he might think that you look out of your league and is afraid of rejection. It all depends on his self-esteem and how perceives feelings of affection and love. Take this, for example, he might call you and search for you at the party but give a lame reason for doing it. As soon as it comes the moment to take the next step, he will take a step back and will pull away.
3. He pretends not to notice you
A subtle way of ignoring you is one of the most fundamental signs of him pretending not to like you. To get a grip on this situation, you should take a closer look at his personality. If he is distant from the same as you then he might have the same approach with everyone. On the other hand, if he acts all friendly with others and not with you then that’s ambiguous. When he isn’t interested in you, he wouldn’t glance at you or ask questions about you. He wouldn’t even bother to have a special approach to you. When he likes you but ignores you, he will give indirect signs to grab your attention. Such as looking at you from afar, looking away, or talking aloud in your presence.
4. He prolongs your conversations out of nowhere
When he is pretending not to like you he tries to prolong the conversations all of a sudden. He tries to ask you the silliest questions just to keep the conversation going. To be more specific men aren’t quite straightforward to express their feelings and their aim. He would like to have you near him but at the same time, he doesn’t have a certain aim. You’ll notice his persistence but he wouldn’t take a step to move this forward.
5. He holds himself back from showing any signs of jealousy
You might notice that he is pretending not to like you when you are around other guys or started dating. Depending on his type, he will react differently.
He might be silent and not react at all.
He will walk off as soon as another guy approaches you.
He will try to laugh it off and act like he doesn’t care.
All he does is camouflage what he feels in reality. If he didn’t pretend to not like you then he would react in any other way. He would shout or argue with you and the other guys.
6. An expert’s opinion between the lines
Getting different opinions about his ambiguous behavior will help you find the source of the problem. No human being and no relationship are made the same. Therefore, every situation needs an extra and different solution. This help can be offered by one of the finest coaches (Relationship Hero) that will help you to pin down, especially your situation. They are specialized in helping you to deal with mixed signals according to how your situation developed. In one on one sessions, you can give details and receive advice that will help you find out if he likes you or not.
7. His mood changes when he is around you
Body language is one of the most fundamental elements in recognizing if he likes you or not. This is something that he can’t control He will start subconsciously smiling when around you and feel nervous. Also, he will subtly touch you, transmitting positive energy to you. Be careful, sometimes this might be a friendly gesture and not a sign of attraction. When he likes you and is interested in you, then he will have a drastic change in his behavior. His eye pupils will dilate, he will look away, and he will invade your space as without purpose.
8. He cares about your well-being more than others
When he is pretending not to like you, he will take care of you even if he will point out the contrary. In this case, he will take care of you and somehow ponder his decision. This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like you or that he is pretending to love you. This means that is something that is holding him back to admit that he likes you. However, if he deeply cares for you, he will offer his help whenever needed. He will try to be present and try to prioritize you without making it obvious. You might say that isn’t this something that a good friend would do too? Well, yes, that’s true. Hence, when a guy likes you more than a friend, he will try to bring out the best in you and pay you extra attention.
9. He makes sure you know he is available
When a guy is pretending that he doesn’t like you, he will make sure to show it, to camouflage his feelings. Things that he will say or do might not make sense at times. He might say multiple times that he isn’t interested in your dating life and still ask questions. Despite this, he will make sure that all his female friends are just friends. Whenever he is out with them or you hang out together with them, he will justify his actions regarding them.
10. He feels nervous when you’re around
When he has strong feelings for you, these feelings will be hard to not be noticed. One of the signs that he is pretending not to like you is feeling quite nervous in your presence. Unlike women, a man likes to be in charge of his emotions and hide them. When he suppresses his feelings and is attracted to you, he still will show it.
He will talk nonsense and make you laugh occasionally;He will touch his face and neck constantly;
This means that he will constantly keep an eye on his actions towards you and try to play it cool. Hence, it’s quite hard to suppress these feelings once they are strong.
11. He treats you like one of the boys
When a guy treats you like one of the boys means two things.
The first one is that he might not be interested in you and the other one is that he wants to hide his feelings. If he is pretending not to like you, he would call you nicknames just like he does with his friends. You will hang out in groups but he will always try to grab your attention and sit near you. He will give you slightly mixed signals because he treats you as his buddy and gives you special attention. Pay attention to his behavior. If he does things for you that he doesn’t do for his other mates, then he likes you more than just a friend.
12. He invades your personal space from time to time
Physical attraction is one of the feelings that one can’t hold or deny. It depends on his type but if a shy guy stands always close to you and gives special attention, he likes you. Otherwise, if he would stand close to you casually or if you’re working on the same task, that doesn’t mean much. He would always use different justifications just to be near you or sit next to you.
13. He tries to be outstanding in front of you
When a guy wants to pretend not to like you, he would try to grab your attention indirectly. If you hang out with a group of friends or he is with his entourage then he tries to make everyone laugh and be in the spotlight. When a man has great charisma, he will act the same with everyone. He will be helpful, kind, and funny with everyone. If he does this whenever you’re near then he is just doing it on purpose. This is mainly a manly tactic to notice that he likes you without making any direct effort to show it.
14. He replies to you slowly but firmly
One of the signs he is pretending to not like you through text is by responding slowly. This is not something that only men do. Also, women try to respond slowly just to not seem quite available. Yet, when he answers, he doesn’t have lame excuses and it doesn’t seem like a scam. Most men do this because they don’t want to look too needy and make the first move. Still, try to analyze the structure of the text and the hour that he replies. If he replies only at night no matter when you text then he isn’t truly interested in you.
15. He initiates conversations for mere reasons
When a guy initiates conversations with you that is a sign of interest. He will initiate texts or conversations just to ask random questions that he either knows the answer to. You’ll find yourself confused and even laughing at times. He will use interesting conversation starters that will keep you all engaged in the conversation. If he does this then he is pretending not to like you but he will send a different message. When he wants you to notice him, he will find every little possibility to have a conversation with you.
Why do guys act like they don’t like you?
There are a variety of reasons why a guy pretends that he doesn’t like you. Every man has a different personality and each of them perceives love, attraction, and relationship in a different way. ~If a man has low self-esteem and has built his life all around his ego then he would pretend not to like you. Because of his ego, he can’t admit his feelings to himself first and later to you. He needs some time to feel good about himself and try to navigate his life not based on his ego. Otherwise, being the first to initiate a conversation or even a relationship wouldn’t be a priority for him. ~On the other hand, a man would pretend to not like you out of fear of being rejected. Thus, he doesn’t want to seem needy and too available so you could lose interest. The same thing happens to women too. They try to look less available to be more interesting. He is afraid that you might be out of his league and doesn’t want to be crushed. That’s why he creates some type of distance. ~ Some guys pretend not to like you so they can get your attention. If he doesn’t feel confident enough or is shy then the best choice to attract your attention is to ignore you. He does this because he feels comfortable and there is less chance for him to be embarrassed or fail. ~ When a guy doesn’t know what he wants, he would pretend not to like you. He doesn’t want to blow the chance to be together with you until he sorts out his feelings. Yet, be careful. If this guy is a player, he would keep you around and give you mixed signals too. These signs can be quite the same as the signs of him pretending not to like you. Hence, a player will be distant only when it isn’t suitable for him to deal with issues and feelings.
When he is pretending not to like you…
When he is pretending not to like you in person or via text his approach is always indirect. He will try to play it cool most of the time but you’ll always find some gaps that will leave you doubting his actions. This situation is more like a push-pull one. These signs are quite interchangeable with the signs that a guy likes you. One day, you’ll get signals that he feels something about you, and the other day he will try to prove the contrary. It all depends on his personality and his availability to express feelings. Try not to jump to conclusions immediately. Instead of doing it, show some signs that you like him too and wait for his next move. Best, Callisto
