A lot of people tend to confuse being a supportive partner and being a controlling one. One way to tell the difference is by looking for signs that he is just being protective and not trying to control you. Here are some signs he is just trying to keep you safe from harm.
1) He is not afraid to stand up for you and defend you.
He’s someone who will defend your honor or reputation when somebody says something that could bring your good name into disrepute.
Or, when somebody is being rude or disrespectful to you.
He has no problem stepping in and telling them to stop because he takes pride in the way that you carry yourself and doesn’t want anybody else diminishing it by their actions.
2) He acts like your hero
Guys are protective by nature so it’s obvious for him to want to protect you.
He can be your hero when you are down, and he’ll lift you up when you’re feeling low.
He’ll be the one who will come to your rescue and not let you get hurt.
Perhaps you’re desperately craving a bar of chocolate at midnight.
He’ll be the one to brave the cold and go out and get it for you because he cares deeply and wants to do everything in his power to make you happy.
3) He goes with you to the doctor
You’ve been feeling under the weather and decided to finally go and see your doctor.
Your boyfriend, being the loving and supportive guy that he is, wants to go with you as a sign of moral support and the fact that he cares and is actually concerned about your health and wellbeing speaks volumes for his character.
4) He doesn’t want you walking alone at night
Why? Durr, because it’s DANGEROUS!
A woman on her own at night is a vulnerable woman and your boyfriend knows this.
That’s why he’ll walk alongside you or give you a ride despite the late hour because he wants to protect you from all harm and he doesn’t want anything to happen to you.
He wants to keep you safe and in one piece.
5) He asks that you text him when you’re home
A guy who always asks you to text him when you arrive is a sign that he’s worried about your safety and well-being.
His concern for your wellbeing stems from the fact that this not only protects you but also vocalizes how much he cares about/cares for you.
6) He doesn’t like you hanging out with certain friends.
He doesn’t like you hanging out with certain friends.
He’s not trying to control you.
He is just worried about his woman.
Sometimes we might not think that our friends are bad for us because we trust them and feel like they’ve got our best intentions at heart, but sometimes this isn’t the case – especially if those people aren’t being respectful of your boundaries or making decisions without consulting you first!
He doesn’t want to be controlling or possessive; he wants a partner who can make their own choices and that you’re surrounded by good influences.
7) He helps you to pick the perfect outfit.
You might think this sounds ridiculous.
How dare a man tell me what to wear.
It’s usually not a case of being controlling but he’s actually looking out of you. He’s a guy and he knows how other guys think so if you’re on your way to the club wearing a mini-skirt that barely covers your cooch, he’s got a point.
Don’t get offended. I’m sure you have loads of other amazing clothing to wear that will make you look equally stunning!
8) He tells you not to go to certain places.
You might think it’s ok to visit a club on the bad side of town, but your man puts his foot down and says no.
He’s not trying to kill your vibe, he’s looking out for your safety because he knows that something might happen to you.
Your man is always thinking about ways in which we can be as safe as possible when going places or doing things.
9) He is considerate and thoughtful
He is a thoughtful person who puts your needs ahead of his own.
His thoughts are always on how he can make you feel better or happier and not just himself.
He will be thinking about what would make you happy before even considering what makes him happy, which is the most important thing in any relationship between two people.
10) He is not jealous of your friends
If he really cared about your safety and well-being, he would be more than happy if you wanted to go out with your friends.
He would also be more than happy if you wanted to spend time with them instead of him; that is why it’s important for someone who cares about the wellbeing of their partner or loved one to trust that they can take care of themselves in a much better manner than their significant other could.
If this person knows that those around them will keep them safe from any danger, then even though there are potential risks involved in going on a date without their partner present (like getting into an argument), it might still make sense because the risk is worth taking just so long as somebody else watches over you while doing something fun like having a night out on the town.
11) He respects your decisions, even if he may not agree with them.
He is not trying to control you, he just wants what’s best for you.
When he sees that something isn’t working out, he will try to offer his advice in a way that doesn’t seem controlling. He will ask how things are going instead of trying to tell you how they should go.
He does this because it helps him feel like the person in charge and also gives him an opportunity to be helpful without making anyone else uncomfortable or angry.
When someone is feeling controlled by another individual, they typically experience anger and resentment over their treatment as well as fear about being able to maintain any sense of self-determination while under such influence.
12) He doesn’t want to change you, he wants you to be yourself.
He loves you the way you are, and he wants the world to love and accept you for who you are as well. He respects your individuality and desire for self-expression even if it might not be something that he would normally do or like himself.
It is important to remember this because there will always be people in our lives who don’t understand us when we’re trying so hard just to fit into their idea of what’s normal or acceptable.
We must keep reminding ourselves that these people aren’t worth our time; they’ll never change, no matter how much effort we put into them–and neither should we! If your man loves you for you, hold onto him!
13) He sticks around when times are tough.
He is there for you when things get hard and when they’re good.
He knows that there is no way that a relationship can survive without both parties putting in equal effort towards making things work out in their best interests.
He also knows that life isn’t always going to be easy; sometimes things go wrong, but he’s still here waiting patiently on the other side of all your problems with open arms ready to take them away from you so long as it doesn’t compromise his own happiness or yours.
14) He doesn’t lecture you
He will never try to make you feel bad about your past, but he is there to help you learn from it and use it as a stepping stone towards becoming the person that you want.
He knows that everyone has their own struggles in life and understands how difficult they can be sometimes; however, he wants others around him to always have hope for what’s ahead of them because “hope is like magic.”.
15) He checks in on you out of concern
He calls to check in but doesn’t demand to know when you’re coming home. He wants to know that you’re safe and happy, but he doesn’t want to be the one who controls your every move. He sees you as a free spirit, not a possession.
He is a man who respects your freedom and doesn’t feel the need to track your every move.
16) He supports you and doesn’t tell you what you should be doing.
That you are more than just your job, or the amount of money you have in the bank, or what car you drive.
He knows that there is no greater person than yourself and he will always be supportive of your choices and dreams.
He encourages you to pursue them wholeheartedly because he knows that if you don’t then something else will come along to replace it anyway, but he’ll be here for his girl every step of the way!
17) He respects your privacy
He doesn’t cross-question you nor does he interrogate you.
He doesn’t want to know all that much about your life because he knows that there is so much more to you than what you see on the surface.
He wants to know that you are happy and that he can be a part of it, but he’s not going to ask for details. He also trusts you and is secure in your relationship enough that he doesn’t feel the need to control your every move.
He is also secure enough in himself to not be jealous of other men. He believes that if you’re happy, then that’s what matters.
18) He knows that he makes mistakes and is not afraid to apologize for them.
He will never be afraid to fight for you because he values your relationship just as much as you do.
He knows that sometimes things are going to be difficult, but he’s willing to work through it with you regardless of the outcome.
He knows that you’re the one for him and he will not let anything stand in his way of making it work.
He doesn’t treat you like property or a possession, but rather a friend.
He’s not afraid to show his feelings and will always be there for you in any situation you may face.
He’s the type of guy who is loyal, steady, and honest.
He’s also the type of guy who thinks about the future and wants to be around for it.
19) He listens to you
He is always willing to listen, but also knows when it’s time to stop talking and start doing.
He is able to be honest with his feelings without making the other person feel bad about themselves or their life choices.
He doesn’t put down others’ opinions or belittle their beliefs; instead, he encourages them by telling them how much they have taught him about life and how much he has grown as a person because of it.
20) He is someone who will never let you down.
He will remain faithful, loving, and caring throughout the entirety of your relationship.
He isn’t going to be the one who walks out when things get tough, but rather the one who is there to listen and help you through whatever happens.
He is willing to put his entire heart into something if he believes in it; he doesn’t leave things halfway or give up on them too easily.
You can always count on him.
21) He isn’t afraid of showing his feelings or emotions
He is a man who knows how to stand up for himself and would never back down from something that he believes in.
He will always have your back, but if you want him to be able to stand on his own two feet then you need not worry about him being afraid of anything or anyone because he has no fear.
So now that you know what a protective boyfriend should act like. How do you know when your boyfriend is just being a control freak?
22) He takes care of you when you’re sick
This is such a lovely quality to have in a boyfriend. If he looks after you when you’re sick, it not only shows that he’s protective and caring but also that he’s not a selfish person.
You see, most men don’t care if their girlfriends get sick and show no sympathy for their well-being.
They just want to pass it off as an excuse to get out of doing chores or anything else they have to do at the time.
However, your boyfriend is different because he’ll look after you when you’re sick so that you don’t have to lift a finger and can stay in bed all day if need be.
23) He gets annoyed when you’re reckless
If your boyfriend gets annoyed when you’re being reckless, it means that he loves you.
He cares about your safety and he’s afraid of losing you.
He’s worried that you’re going to get hurt and he wants to make sure that you’re safe at all times.
If this is the case, then his annoyance just shows how much love there is in his heart for not only himself but also for those around him including yourself.
24) He tries to cheer you up when you’re down
He knows that if you’re down in the dumps, it’s hard for him to cheer you up and make your day a better one.
He’ll try his best to make sure that he lifts your spirits whenever the mood strikes him.
It shows how much he cares about/cares for you because he wants to make sure that you don’t go through any emotional turmoil or depression.
He’ll always try his best to lift your spirits and there’s no better way than by being there for you when things aren’t going well.
What’s the difference between being protective and possessive?
Being protective means that your man doesn’t want you to get hurt or tries to keep you from getting hurt when you’re going out alone at night or to places where there could be trouble.
He doesn’t want anything bad happening to you.
You see, being protective is just being there for you because he loves and cares for you and wants to make sure that nothing bad happens to you.
Being possessive is when he makes decisions for your life and does things without your consent or even knowledge of it.
He decides what kind of job/career path/college/schools you should go into, who your best friends should be, etc., without consulting you.
He takes total control over your life and doesn’t want you to have any say in it.
The only way he will let you make the decisions is if he approves of them or if they’re what he wants you to do.
Conclusion
So there you have it. I hope this article has been an eye-opener as to what a wonderful catch your boyfriend is.
Also, you’ve seen that there’s a big difference between being protective and not controlling.
