It may be a cliché, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true: men aren’t always the best at talking about their feelings.
For lots of reasons, many men struggle with opening up and talking about the way they feel.
That’s why it’s possible for a man to be deeply in love with you, and yet rarely or never come out and say it.
But strong feelings have a way of showing themselves. If not through words, then his actions may give away how he really feels.
Keep an eye out for these behaviors that will show you a man who is truly in love, even if he won’t come out and say it.
1) He pays attention to you
This might sound obvious. But a man who is truly in love with you will pay attention to you.
I’m not saying that means he will hang on your every word. But it does mean that he listens to you when it matters.
If you’re sharing something important, he will listen. He will take what you say seriously, without trying to minimize it or dismiss it.
It sounds like a simple thing, but you’d be surprised how often people forget the basics. That’s what makes this a clear sign that a man truly loves you: because he wants to know what’s going on with you.
2) He wants to be near you
This is another one that seems obvious, but can nevertheless be a major sign that a guy is in love with you.
After all, we want to be around the people that make us happy. If a guy is in love with you, he will want to spend time with you.
According to dating expert Celia Schweyer, a man who is falling for you “will always look for different ways to keep you interested in going out like to go have dinner together, watch a movie, or try that new pub he saw. It will always be a new thing every day just to have a moment with you.”
This can tip you off that a guy is interested in you at the early stages of relationship. But although relationships change with time, this is something that should remain true for as long as he loves you.
You don’t have to want to spend every waking minute with someone. That’s not healthy and not necessary. But you should want to spend at least some time with the people that you love.
So if he is always coming up with ideas for how the two of you can spend time together and looking for ways to be around you, it’s a good sign he is truly in love.
3) He shows up
This one may not be quite as obvious, at least at first. But if you know what to look for, this can be a strong sign that a man is truly in love.
A man who loves you will be consistent and reliable. You’ll be able to count on him to do the things he says he’s going to do, and to show up for you when you need it.
That means keeping appointments. It means being there to help you look after the kids or pursue career goals. It means doing what he says he will do, without you having to constantly remind or nag him to get things done.
This kind of consistency is key to building a healthy and fulfilling relationship. So a man you know you can count on is probably a man who truly loves you.
4) He does things for you
There are lots of different ways people express love. And even if a man isn’t the type to talk about his feelings, he may be telling you he loves you in another form of language.
Acts of service are one of the five love languages identified by psychologist Gary Chapman. After all, actions speak louder than words, and many men are more comfortable with doing things that show their love than simply saying it.
It might be cooking dinner. It might be doing something with the kids so you can have some alone time. It might be fixing things around the house or maintaining your car.
There are basically unlimited ways a man can do things for you. But ultimately, they all add up to one simple message. He’s telling you he loves you without using words.
5) He is protective
Many people are protective of those they love, and this is particularly true of men.
If a man is protective toward you, it’s a good sign he truly loves you.
Maybe he walks you home. Maybe he waits to make sure your car will start before you go somewhere. Maybe he stands up for you when other people criticize you.
There are so many different ways a man can be protective over you, but it’s always a good sign that he is truly in love with you.
Now, there’s a big difference between being protective and being controlling. Sometimes, manipulative men will use the excuse of being protective as a way to try and control your behaviors. That’s the opposite of love.
A guy who really loves you will give you the freedom and autonomy to be yourself, while providing a safe and supportive home environment that lets you be who you want to be.
6) He sacrifices for you
All loving relationships require compromise.
A man who has a strong sense of self will not change who he is just to please you, and you shouldn’t want that from him any more than you would want it for yourself.
But at the same time, every partner in a relationship should be willing sometimes to put the needs of the person they love ahead of their own.
Maybe he goes to social functions he would rather not attend, but he knows they mean a lot to you.
Or maybe he spends some of his free time doing activities with you that you both know he won’t enjoy, but he does it because you will enjoy them.
The point is, the sacrifices don’t have to be big. Even small sacrifices are sign of a man in love.
7) He supports you
I don’t mean financially, although if that is your arrangement, that can be part of it.
But more specifically, I’m talking about emotional support. I’m talking about a guy who is your biggest cheerleader, who is happy for your successes and who commiserates with you when things go wrong.
I’m talking about a guy who will support you in pursuing your dreams and going after what you want in life. If that means he needs to make most of the money while you start up a business, or it means he needs to spend more time with the kids so you can work on a project that means a lot to you, he’ll do it without complaint.
This kind of supportive behavior is a sure sign of a man who loves you.
8) He respects you
It can sometimes seem strange to talk about respect in the context of a romantic relationship.
After all, respect is something we offer to coworkers, managers, and even strangers. But just because you become intimate with someone doesn’t mean that you should stop respecting them.
In fact, if you do, your relationship is virtually doomed.
A man who loves you will always respect you. That means he respects your feelings, your opinions, and your abilities. He respects your autonomy within the rules of your relationship, and demonstrates that the way you feel matters to him.
9) He opens up emotionally
As I mentioned earlier, many men have a hard time expressing their feelings in words. Often, men will only open up emotionally to others once they trust them completely.
So if a man is willing to be emotionally vulnerable around you, that’s a major sign that he truly loves you.
“The ability to expose ourselves to another and trust that our partner will still accept an unfiltered version of us may be the most challenging task for men,” according to psychologist Isaiah Pickens. “Vulnerability represents a core element in any healthy, long-term relationship.”
The harder it is for a man to open up emotionally, the more it means when he finally does. So if your man is willing to tell you how he feels, take it for what it is: a sign that he is truly in love.
10) He sees you in his future
Listen carefully when a man talks about the future. Are you part of his plans?
Does he see you as being a major part of his life going forward? Does he plan for a future that has a place for you in it?
If you can answer yes to these questions, it’s a good sign he loves you. He can’t imagine being happy without you, and so he makes a space for you in anything he plans in the future.
11) He includes you in his life
Finally, a man who loves you will include you in his life.
That means you will meet his friends, his family, and other people who mean a lot to him. It means he will share his hobbies and interests, along with his emotions.
When a man truly loves you, he won’t want to keep things separate. He will want you to be part of almost every aspect of his life.
Signs a man truly loves you
Just because a man may be reluctant to come out and say it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. And often, these signs can be even more powerful indicators that he is truly in love than anything he might say.
Watch out for these signs of true love, and you’ll never have to doubt his feelings again.
