Friendship can be tricky.
A friend is someone with whom you’re comfortable and can be yourself around, right?
But how can you know someone likes you as a friend and not more? Here are 11 psychological signs:
1) They don’t try to be physically close to you
Friendship is all about being comfortable with each other.
That’s why a person who doesn’t like you won’t feel the need to put their arm around you or hold your hand as a friend would.
They won’t try to be physically close in the same way that a romantic partner would; they’re not trying to be overly affectionate or elicit any romantic feelings in you.
The physical closeness between romantic partners is meant to create an intimate space between just the two of you.
The physical closeness between friends, on the other hand, is meant to create a comfortable space for both people.
The physical closeness between friends is casual, not romantic, and often happens without either friend even realizing it.
The best way to know if someone likes you romantically is to watch their behavior when they’re around you.
You see, friends won’t try to get close to you romantically because they know that you wouldn’t like it.
If a friend likes you romantically, they’ll try to get close to you in a way that is more intimate than a friend would.
2) They treat you like a family member
Family members love each other and care about each other deeply, but their love isn’t romantic.
Because of that, they often treat each other casually in a way that isn’t found in romantic relationships.
This includes affectionate gestures like sitting really close to each other, holding hands, or putting their arm around the other person.
You might also see a family-like closeness in the way that they talk to you.
They might use terms of endearment like “sweetheart” or “honey” or even just a casual “hey, kid”.
You see, when people treat you as though they are your sister, brother, or another family member, they are showing you that they just want to be friends, nothing else.
3) Ask a relationship coach for advice
While the points in this article will help you deal with figure out whether someone is just a friend, it can be helpful to speak to a relationship coach about your situation.
With a professional relationship coach, you can get advice tailored to the specific issues you’re facing in your love life.
Relationship Hero is a site where highly trained relationship coaches help people navigate complex and difficult love situations, like figuring out if you’re more than friends.
They’re popular because they genuinely help people solve problems.
Why do I recommend them?
Well, after going through difficulties in my own love life, I reached out to them a few months ago.
After feeling helpless for so long, they gave me a unique insight into the dynamics of my relationship, including practical advice on how to overcome the issues I was facing.
I was blown away by how genuine, understanding, and professional they were.
In just a few minutes you can connect with a certified relationship coach and get tailor-made advice specific to your situation.
4) They let you know they care about what’s going on in your life
People who don’t like each other often try to stay out of each other’s lives.
If your partner is worried about your financial troubles, they’re likely to avoid bringing it up and keep the topic to themselves.
People who don’t know you often don’t want to intrude on their partner’s problems.
If your friend is worried about your financial troubles, on the other hand, they’ll let you know they’re concerned and want to help.
Your friend might try to give you advice about how to solve your financial woes or even offer to let you borrow some money.
If an acquaintance is worried about your financial issues, they might keep it to themselves.
5) They constantly make an effort to stay in touch with you
You probably talk to acquaintances every once in a while and maybe once a week.
If that person is always trying to talk to you and stay in touch with you, then they’re likely to like you as a friend.
People who aren’t very close don’t have to always be in contact with each other.
If someone is consistently making an effort to stay in touch with you, they like you as a friend.
6) They give great pieces of advice that help your self-confidence and self-esteem
People who don’t know you very well generally aren’t looking out for your best interests when they give you advice.
They might really mean it, but they are not trying to help you feel better about yourself.
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People in friendships, on the other hand, often give really helpful pieces of advice that improve your self-confidence and self-esteem.
If your friend always tells you that you’re beautiful when you don’t feel beautiful, then they’re not doing it to be nice.
They’re doing it because they genuinely want you to feel better about yourself.
You see, real friends want to give you advice because they genuinely want to see you thrive in this life!
7) They make an effort to listen to what you have to say
People who don’t know you well usually want to talk about themselves.
They want to tell you about all the exciting things they’ve done and all the things they’re looking forward to doing.
These kinds of people tend to speak a lot about themselves and are often quick to interrupt you and finish your sentences for you.
If you’re with someone and they’re always trying to listen to what you have to say, then they’re probably interested in you as a friend.
If they’re constantly making an effort to listen to what you have to say, then they’re probably a friend.
8) They don’t judge you and are supportive of your decisions
People who don’t know you well are often quick to judge others and often try to change their partner’s decisions.
People in friendships, on the other hand, don’t judge their friends and don’t try to change their friends’ decisions.
They’re going to be supportive of your decision and hope it works out for the best.
Of course, they will be honest with you and give you their honest opinion when they think something you’re doing is not good, but they will support your decisions no matter what.
In that way, they are like a family member.
They love you unconditionally and no matter what you do will ever change that.
9) When you’re with this person, you feel good
If you’re with someone, and it’s a good friend, you’ll find yourself only wanting to spend time with that person.
If it’s a friendship, you’ll want to spend time with a lot of different people.
You see, friends will talk to each other a lot and don’t mind being around each other.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not getting along with someone else, because when you’re with this person, you feel good.
You can talk to them about anything and everything and they won’t judge you.
Your friends will be there for you no matter what.
Feeling this comfortable around someone is a beautiful thing because you could spend days together and still not get sick of each other.
Having a friend like that is special and you shouldn’t take it for granted.
10) They never flirt with you
A clear sign that someone wants to be your friend is when they never flirt with you.
Friends don’t like to be around people who are doing things that they’re not comfortable with.
If you want to be a friend, then you shouldn’t flirt with them.
You’re going to feel good around someone when all of your friends think that you’re cool and funny.
You should always be careful about who you trust because it’s easy to lose your guard and have friends who will take advantage of that.
You see, when a person starts flirting with you, that’s when you start questioning their intentions with you.
But if someone never flirts, it’s crystal clear: they only want to be friends.
11) They’re always there for you no matter what
A person who doesn’t like you is there for you when they want to be — when they feel like they have time and energy to be there for you.
A friend, on the other hand, is always there for you no matter what.
They won’t let you fend for yourself when you’re struggling and in need of a listening ear.
If you’re going through a rough patch in your life and you often find yourself struggling to find someone to talk to about it, then they might like you as a friend.
You might also notice that when you’re with them, they make an effort to actively try to help you with whatever you’re going through.
You see, friends have each other’s backs.
Read between the lines
If you want to find out what someone is to you, simply try to read between the lines.
Their behavior should tell you a lot about their intentions.
When people show these signs, they are most likely just your friends.