(Carol Anderson) There’s probably no better feeling than knowing how a person actually feels towards you. However, during these times when social interactions are limited due to the rise of online platforms, it’s hard to familiarize oneself with the obvious body language saying someone likes you.
by Carol Anderson, June 15th, 2018
According to an extensive study, there are only five main body language signals that can tell when people like each other.
- Eye contact — Making a lot of eye contact is a sure giveaway that a person likes you. It’s a way of catching your attention and at the same time, an attempt to build a connection. It is one of the most effective ways to start a conversation and build intimacy without any physical contact. One of the most basic flirting moves is when a person makes eye contact, looks away for a few seconds, and looks back at you again.
- Smiling — We’re talking about hard-to-suppress smiles where it’s hard to hide the front teeth. While a person may not show a toothy grin while still on a flirting stage, they will definitely smile from ear-to-ear once you start dating. If a person is truly interested in you, their smiles will extend beyond the mouth and will be combined with squinty eyes. Check if the smile they have for you is distinct from what they give off to others.
- Starting a conversation — It takes courage to speak to strangers, which makes this particular body language a part of those that reliably indicates if a person likes you. Making an effort to find a connection through words is hard, and when a person approaches you — even while stuttering — it could mean they are interested.
- Having a good laugh — Whether your joke is really funny or a bad one, a person who likes you will still give a belly laugh. This is a way for them to encourage you and make you feel comfortable around them. This is also a good indication that they have their focus on you.
- Maintaining physical proximity — Subtle physical indicators are: attempts to hold your hand, touching your shoulders, or giving you a small hug every chance they get.
The research also hinted that the other common body languages we associate to liking a person are not accurate indicators. These include:
- Hair flipping
- Tilting of head
- Eyebrow lifting
- Primping clothes
- Maintaining open body posture
- Leaning in
While some people may use these as indicators, they are not as reliable as the other five discovered by the researchers. Dr. R. Matthew Montoya, the first author of the study, said, “There is a specific suite of behaviors associated with liking, and this same set of behaviors can be found in cultures from around the world.”
In addition, Montoya clarified that these body languages are not only applicable to romantic desires. They are also linked to normal, daily interactions between people.
“When we like someone, we act in ways to get them to trust us. From this perspective, we engage in these behaviors to increase the degree of overlap, interdependence, and commitment to an agreement,” he concluded.
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