Do you have a close friendship with someone you feel could be “the one” only to sense they don’t feel the same way about you? Being close to someone can be confusing, especially when you haven’t spoken about where you stand with each other.
Spending all your spare time with someone, laughing at each other’s jokes, supporting each other, talking about anything and everything, giving advice and simply being there for each other, are all signs that you have a close connection with someone. However, you might see this close connection as a great starting point for a relationship, but they may just see it as a great friendship.
Here are some signs that you’re nothing more than friends:
- They talk about possible partners with you, even asking for your opinion.
- If you’re out together and someone catches their eye, they won’t hide the fact they’re attracted to them. To them, they’re doing nothing wrong, but it’s highly uncomfortable for you. This may even be taken to the next level and you might witness them flirting in front of you, making it extremely awkward for you.
- If you talk about people you’re interested in and you’re secretly hoping they’ll get jealous, you won’t get the response you were hoping for and you’ll find they’re very supportive of you. Even if you start dating someone, it doesn’t seem to bother them in the slightest.
- You might find yourself contacting them more than they contact you, plus it’s more likely to be you that make any plans with them.
- If someone assumes you’re an item, they’ll laugh it off while you secretly wish it were true.
- You’ll find yourself being introduced to others as a friend.
- They might turn up with another friend or two at one of your arranged get-togethers. Where you were hoping for time alone with them, they have other ideas.
- They’ll address you as “mate” making you feel like one of the lads, or one of the girls, rather than someone special. In conversations, they will keep reminding you of how good a friend you are and tell you you’re funny, but never words such as gorgeous or sexy. It’s a constant reminder that they see you only as a good friend and want to keep it that way. They may even say you’re like a brother or sister to them.
- You’ll notice physical contact is minimal, especially when they’ve had ample opportunities. When two people are flirting, there’s usually physical contact of some sort, often a simple touch of the arm, so if they avoid physical contact full stop, it’s a clear sign they’re not into you romantically.
- They don’t make an effort to look good for you. You probably make sure you’re constantly looking good for them, but you’ll notice they don’t seem to dress up for you.
- They might try and set you up with one of their friends, putting you in an awkward position.
Accepting you’ll never be more than friends is hard. It can leave you feeling disheartened. Deep down you probably know that a romantic relationship will never form, but it’s not easy accepting it. The sooner you accept the situation, the sooner you can move on and not waste any more of your valuable time chasing someone who simply isn’t into you.
Additional Resources
Does he think I’m just a friend? 13 signs you’re in the dreaded friend zone