We all long to hear those 3 little words once we become more serious with our partner. Although we could surely be the first to say them if we wanted, we’d rather prefer our boyfriend make the first move. According to one survey, men take on average 88 days to say the words “I love you”, while women take on average 134 days to say them. So, when should you expect your boyfriend to finally utter the words you’ve been longing to hear? How do you know if your boyfriend is falling in love with you?
How Men Fall In Love
Falling in love is an emotional and physical experience for both men and women. There is a certain love hormone in our body that contribute to the feeling of “being in love.” The love hormone affects us physically and makes us feel certain things we don’t feel with other people. What science can’t explain is why we fall in love with certain people but not others. That’s what makes love so special and so rare. And while both men and women experience the same chemical reaction in the brain when we’re in love, how we express being in love is different. We also fall in love at a different pace. According to surveys, men fall in love faster than women and are more likely to express their love than women.
How men choose to express their love can differ widely. Some men may be more comfortable showing a woman that they love them by performing acts of service. Other men may be better at using their words and expressing their love by telling their partner how much they love them. Regardless, being in love can be a vulnerable feeling for many men. Traditionally, most men have been taught to hide their feelings. They’re supposed to be stoic and strong. Falling headfirst in love can be scary because more emotions are involved. No one wants to get hurt. But while women are more comfortable seeking comfort from friends during a heart break, men typically don’t do the same. Falling in love is scarier for men because if they get hurt, they won’t know how to cope.
What Makes Men Fall in Love With You?
It’s no secret that men are visual creatures. Put plainly, looks matter a lot when it comes to romantic attraction. Every classic love story has a line about how the male protagonist took one look at his beautiful female counterpart and knew she was the one. But while it’s true that looks play a major part in the attraction stage of a romantic relationship, it takes more than a pretty face for a man to fall in love. Like women, men also value personality, personal values, integrity, intelligence, and confidence. But more than anything, men fall in love with women who make them feel better about themselves. They fall in love with women who see their worth and accept them for who they are. They fall in love with women who make them want to be a better person. If your boyfriend is falling in love with you, it’s likely because you have made him feel comfortable being who he is.
Signs That Your Boyfriend Is Falling in Love With You
He Introduces You to His Friends and Family
When a man is serious about making you his long-term partner, he’ll want to make you a part of his life. Introducing you to the people who he loves most, his friends and family, signasl that he is ready to include you in that group. He wouldn’t want to waste anyone’s time by showing you off to his loved ones if he didn’t expect to have you in his life for the long haul. If your boyfriend is falling in love with you, he’ll be ecstatic to tell everyone about you. Naturally, they will be curious about you and want to meet you. Your boyfriend will also be curious about your friends and family. When you love someone, you are curious about their life and the people they hold dear to them. If your boyfriend is falling in love with you, he’ll be eager to meet the people who have made you who you are today.
He’s Nervous Around You
Love makes us all fools, even those of us who are normally calm and collected. If your boyfriend is falling in love with you, you might notice more nervous ticks. His nervousness could be due to him trying to build up the courage to tell you how he feels. They could also be due to his newfound strong feelings for you. When a man has strong feelings for you, he won’t want to do anything to mess things up with you. His nervousness could be a result of him trying hard not to do something you’d find unattractive. If you notice him stuttering his words more or acting unsure of himself when he’s around you, it could be a telltale sign he’s getting ready to say those special three words.
He Talks About the Future With You
If your boyfriend begins bringing up plans for the future, it could be an early sign he’s falling for you. Men don’t talk about the future with women they aren’t serious about. If he wasn’t serious about you, he’d refrain from talking about the future at all costs. If your boyfriend talks about the future with you, it’s because he wants you in it. He’s excited to have you in his life, and he wants to build a future with you. He could also be testing you to see how you react to talks about the future. He might be trying to figure out if you two are on the same page commitment-wise. Your boyfriend may not necessarily be ready to commit to marriage, but he is ready to be in a committed relationship with you for the foreseeable future.
He’s Comfortable Around You
When your boyfriend feels a deep connection with you, he’ll feel like he can be himself. If your boyfriend is super comfortable being around you, it could be a sure sign he’s falling for you. Men are typically more guarded when it comes to their feelings. They don’t want to show signs of vulnerability towards anyone unless they really trust you. If your boyfriend has started showing his quirky side or geeked out in front of you about his Pokémon card collection, it’s because he trusts you. He feels comfortable showing you this side of him because he trusts that you will love him anyhow. Similarly, if your boyfriend has opened up to you about painful or embarrassing memories, it’s because he trusts you. He’s telling you these things because he feels that you are someone he can confide in. He feels a deep emotional connection with you that he doesn’t feel with anyone else.
He Spends More Time With You
Have you noticed that suddenly your boyfriend has more time for you than before? Does he hit you up more often, asking to spend time with you? Your boyfriend making more effort to be with you could be a great sign that he is falling in love with you. According to studies, people only invest their time and energy into people they see as important. If your boyfriend is falling in love with you, then he sees you as someone worthy of putting his time and attention into. It could also be because he enjoys his time with you so dearly, that he tries to find any excuse he can to be near you. In some cases, this could come off as being clingy. But it’s only natural for us to want to be near the ones we love. If you return your boyfriend’s feelings, take into consideration how he feels and make time to spend with him as well.
He’s Protective
It’s only natural for men to want to protect the ones they love. Protection is part of their “hero instinct,” which is a man’s natural instinct to be the provider and protector. It’s important to note that the hero instinct is only triggered when a man is truly in love with someone. They don’t have the same instinct to serve and protect just anyone. Protectiveness is a good sign that your boyfriend feels true love for you. Your boyfriend being protective over you might look like him wondering how late you plan on staying out. Or he might not like the idea of you going to a certain part of town known to be sketchy. He might even ask if you have enough gas or offer to fill up your tank for you. Being protective is not the same as being possessive. Being protective means that he is worried about your wellbeing. He wants to protect you, not control you. If your boyfriend is trying to control you, it’s not because he loves you. Make sure you are able to make the distinction between protective and controlling.
He’s More Affectionate
Being affectionate is one of the main pillars of a romantic relationship. Affection isn’t simply about having sex and making out. In a loving relationship, it’s much deeper than that. Affection looks like holding hands while you’re walking together, brushing a strand of hair out of your face while you’re talking, or going in for a hug at random moments of the day. When your boyfriend is in love with you, these small affectionate acts will be more frequent. He likely won’t even realize he is doing them most of the time. But because you have awakened his love for you, he instinctively will become more affectionate. And he won’t shy away from physical touch, even if he’s in public. When a guy has real love for someone, he doesn’t care what his friends or anyone else thinks. He’s not afraid to be affectionate with you in public because he knows you are worth more than his ego.
He Wants To Make You Happy
When your boyfriend is in love with you, he wants to do everything he can to make you happy. Making the woman he loves happy is part of his hero instinct. He wants to feel needed and be your savior. One way he can do that is by providing you with whatever you want or need. Do you need your car fixed? He’s on it. Did you mention something about seeing your favorite band live in concert? He’s already bought tickets. Do you dislike the menu at the restaurant you two just sat down at? No problem, he’s already making reservations for another spot. Men enjoy making the women they love happy because it makes him feel good. If your boyfriend is in love with you, he wants to do everything he can to keep you. He knows that there are other men out there who can compete with him. That’s why he’s making sure he does everything he can to measure up to them. He doesn’t want you to feel unsatisfied for fear you will start searching for a better boyfriend. If your boyfriend is in love with you, you will notice how willing he is to make you happy.
He Makes You a Priority
When a man is in love with you, he will make you a priority. He will put your feelings into consideration above all else before he makes any decisions. A man in love knows that the two of you are now a team, and thus, your thoughts and feelings matter more than anyone else’s. If your boyfriend is in love with you, he will make you feel like the most important person in his life. You will never have to guess where you stand with him, because he will do his best to show you how important you are to him. You won’t have to worry about whether he’s going to choose his buddies over spending time with you; that’s not even a consideration for him. He won’t make plans without conferring with you first because he knows how much that would upset you. When your boyfriend is in love with you, he values you and your romantic relationship.
He Doesn’t Play Games With You
If you’ve been around the block in the dating world, you’ll know it’s full of players. Both men and women are guilty of playing games with one another to exert their dominance. No one wants to be the first person to catch feelings or the person to care more. Silly dating games often look like taking a long time to respond to text messages, not being readily available, or being coy with their emotions. But when a man is in love with you, he doesn’t play those silly games. If your boyfriend is in love with you, he won’t want to risk doing anything to scare you off. He’ll always respond on time, and if he doesn’t, then he will have a legitimate reason for why he couldn’t. Games are for players who aren’t ready to settle down. You play games with people you’re not serious about dating, not people you love. If your boyfriend has stopped all the silly games and made it clear he’s willing to put effort into your relationship, he’s falling for you.
He Loves Your Quirks
We all have quirks and flaws that are hard to hide once we’re in committed relationships. The longer you spend with someone, the more you notice every side of them – even the bad or silly stuff. If your boyfriend is in love with you, he’s seen your flaws and is in awe of them. The silly way you pronounce certain things or the weird way you cut your sandwiches might seem like the least interesting thing about you. But to your boyfriend, he can’t get enough of them. That’s a sign that he is falling for you big time. When we are in love, we tend to see our loved one through rose colored glasses. Nothing they can do is wrong, and all of their quirks and flaws just makes them more unique. If you can do no wrong in your boyfriend’s eyes, then you’ve got him hooked.
The Takeaway
Love is a splendid thing, but it’s also a very complex thing. If your boyfriend expresses any of the above signs, it’s likely he’s fallen for you. But everybody expresses love differently. Don’t worry if your boyfriend hasn’t checked off every one of these signs just yet. It could be that he expresses his love differently. Or maybe he’s not there yet. Remember that love takes time. It’s scary opening yourself up to a new person. No one wants to get hurt; therefore, many of us err on the cautious side. If you are waiting for your boyfriend to tell you he loves you, decide how long you are willing to wait. No one should be rushed into saying something they don’t feel. But if you are ready for a commitment now and your boyfriend can’t give it to you, you should speak with him about the future of your relationship.
