Most of us have been there - you’re dating a guy, it all seems to be going well, and then he seems to drop off the face of the planet, you realize he’s speaking to other people even though he says he wants commitment or the relationship just stops progressing. 

Mixed messages make it difficult to actually understand what someone wants from you and it’s just a whole lot of confusion, anxiety, and stress.

Whether you feel that you have a yo-yo relationship with someone you’re seeing or you just want to be aware of mixed signals for potential future relationships, this article is here to give you the low down on mixed signals. We’re going to take a look at 11 examples of mixed love signals from a man and decipher what each of them really means.

What Do His Mixed Signals Mean?

1. They suddenly go from hot to cold

This is a really general, sweeping example of mixed signals - when someone blows hot, and cold at the same time. This means that one might someone is giving you a lot of attention, acting like they care, showing affection, and making you a real priority of theirs, and then the next, they drop you like you don’t mean anything to them.

What it means...

Although people that are shy or those that are scared of commitment may go from hot to cold, usually people that do this are just using you. Essentially, if someone does this it means that they don’t have deep feelings for you and are using you selfishly.

2. They don’t text or call after a date

If you have a really great date with someone and you can really feel the spark between the two of you, and then they don’t text you or call you, they are sending you mixed signals. Typically, people will get in touch with the person they dated within 24 hours of the date ending, to either say how much of a great time they had, or to call it off, so if they don't get in touch, it can be concerning. You should give someone 3 days to get in touch after a day, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

What it means...

If someone doesn’t get in touch with you after a date, it could mean that they’re shy, or that they don’t know how to move things forward with you. However, even people that are shy will generally be in touch within 3 days. Typically, if someone doesn’t get in touch, it means that they’re either not interested in you and don’t think you deserve a text, or they want to mess with your emotions and try and get you hooked on them.

3. They ignore your messages but like your posts

One of the most confusing things a guy can do is ignore the message you sent him, but like your social media posts and obviously show you that he’s online - this is definitely sending mixed signals! 

What it means...

If a guy does this, it either means that he’s trying to play hard to get, or he’s simply not interested in replying to your message but thinks that the picture you just posted is worthy of a like. This guy definitely isn’t worth it if he can’t even be bothered to reply to you.

4. They still speak to other people

A guy might keep taking you on dates, telling you that they really like you and showing you affection, but he might also still be speaking to other people, and this can be really confusing! On one hand, the relationship seems to be progressing and getting more serious, but on the other, it’s like you’re not even dating at all.

What it means...

The first thing to say is that obviously this guy could be polyamorous and expect that you are too, and in that case, he’s not trying to send mixed signals on purpose, but he’s just going about his romantic life like he always does. However, if you know this guy isn’t polyamorous, then he could either still be speaking to other people to make you jealous, or he could be keeping his options open because he doesn’t look at you in a long-term way.

5. They say they like you but there’s no progress

If a guy keeps telling you that he likes you and the two of you are continuously dating for quite a long period of time but nothing ever progresses with the relationship, it’s certainly confusing. He’ll keep taking you on dates and you’ll keep being intimate, but the two of you never do anything else and the relationship you share isn’t progressing into a committed or properly romantic relationship.

What it means…

A guy that keeps doing this might not be ready for a relationship, or he might be nervous about things progressing, so rather than doing anything, he just avoids the questions and keeps doing what he’s doing. On the other hand, a guy might do this if he’s using you - the relationship is never going to progress anywhere, but he doesn’t think you know what, and therefore he’s getting everything he wants from the relationship while you hold onto false hope.

6. They’re affectionate in private but not in public

It can feel awful to know that someone is so affectionate with you when you’re in private, but they act like they have nothing to do with you when you’re in public together. Of course, not everyone likes PDA, but if it goes from being extremely intimate in private to not even holding one of your hands in public, it can be a little bit confusing.

What it means…

As mentioned, a guy that does this might really just not like PDA, and therefore he will avoid any kind of public affection and instead shower you with it when you’re in private. However, this is the best-case scenario. Typically, if someone is doing this, they might not be intimate in public with you either because they’re scared they will see someone they know and they don’t want to be seen with you, or they are worried other women will think they’re taken.

7. They’re not committed to you, but get jealous

If a guy hasn’t shown commitment to you in any way, and you know that you’re still not the only person they see, but they get jealous of men checking you out or flirting with you, it not only seems way too confusing, but it seems downright unfair.

What it means…

If a guy has chosen not to commit to you but gets jealous over other guys checking you out, he’s either too scared to commit to you and he really likes you, or he doesn’t want you at all, but he also doesn’t want anyone else to have you. 

8. They cancel plans frequently, normally at the last minute

When a guy makes plans with you in advance it will probably make you feel really excited and special, appreciating the fact that he’s made plans for you and him, and thought about it in advance. However, if he often cancels these plans at the last minute, you’ll feel awful and you won’t understand why leaving you upset and puzzled.

What it means...

Of course, if this happens once, or maybe even twice, and the guy doesn’t give you any other mixed signals, then he probably just had an emergency and couldn’t make it and you don’t need to look too much into that. However, if a guy does this frequently and he does give you other mixed signals, he’s probably canceling on you last minute because something, or someone, way better came up. 

9. He wants sex when it suits him

A guy might tell you that he’s crazy about sex, but if he’s only initiating sex when it suits him and he’s declining sex when you want to have it, this isn’t a good sign. In addition, if this guy is selfish in bed but claims that he wants to please you, it’s also a concern!

What it means...

If a guy is only having sex with you when it suits him and he’s selfish in the bedroom, it’s probably because he only likes you for one thing and one thing only - sex. He wants to have sex with you when it suits him, and he doesn’t care about your pleasure.

10. They’re always slow to respond, but get angry when you are

Do you find yourself waiting around for hours for texts back from this guy? Or perhaps he never returns your calls? And if you don’t reply, does he get angry or jealous? If a guy takes way too long to respond but then gets angry when you do it, these are definitely two very different messages he’s giving off!

What it means...

Firstly, if a guy takes forever to respond to your texts and never answers or returns your calls, it’s probably because he doesn’t like you that much. If someone likes you, they will make an effort to talk to you! Secondly, if he’s getting angry when you don’t reply, he’s most probably trying to do this to control you and get you wrapped around his little finger.

11. They never want to talk about relationship status

If someone is repeatedly dodging the “what are we?” conversation, it’s not really a great sign! It’s especially not great if you feel like the two of you are actually acting like a couple, but there’s no commitment or exclusivity. 

What it means...

Although some people might not want to have this conversation because they’re scared of getting into a relationship but they really like you, most of the time, people won’t want to have this chat because they’re using you and they don’t see a future with you.

FAQs

In Summary

After reading this article you should be aware of examples of mixed signals from guys and have an understanding of what these signals actually mean. Just remember, if someone isn’t showing you the level of love and respect you deserve, walk away from them.

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