Love doesn’t have to hit us like a freight train, it can bloom softly, like a flower. Curious about the ways she falls in love? Kacey Bradley shares five.

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Ah, love. Humans have been puzzling over each other since their first appearance on this earth. What makes us attracted to someone? How can we be the best partner we can be? How can you tell if someone’s falling in love? We spend so much time immersed in these questions because they’re just that important to us. We all want someone who will love us to the end, right?

One big question that we ask is “Is he/she falling in love with me?”

To answer this one, this post goes out to both men and women. If are any telltale actions, it’s these five:

Being a Good Listener

If there’s one thing about women that can be universally agreed upon, it’s that they love to talk. Movies, books, commercials, and other people love to poke fun at girly conversation, so it’s no wonder why most men find it to be overwhelming.

But then there’s those sweet souls who find it fascinating, and as expected, having great listening skills can really impress a woman. A Stanford study of 1,000 speed dates found that women were “more likely to be impressed with a good listener who was sympathetic to their problems.”

When men show women that they really listen to all that gab and prioritize what a woman says over other things, he’s a keeper. If he remembers little things she says and brings them up later, it’s even more incredible.

Opening Up

Dating a guy can feel daunting. What’s going on in his head? What might lie behind those kind but unreadable eyes?

Amanda J. Rose, associate professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, thinks that men don’t talk about their problems because they don’t see the point of opening up. They don’t think it’s very useful.

While it’s sort of in their nature for men to be unbreakable, every once in a while, the emotional barriers can come down. And when a man can open up, be honest, and talk about his feelings with his girl, it’s truly remarkable.

It temporarily proves Rose’s point wrong, and it indicates that his girl is a person truly worth confessing some feelings to. So when he’s all mushy, that’s a perfect sign.

Compromising

Women might be mostly joking when they ask their man to do something he normally wouldn’t do, but when he actually does it, that’s enough to make her heart melt.

Mark D. White of Psychology Today says, “A healthy relationship should affirm who each partner is and allow each person to meet his or her needs together with the other.” It doesn’t matter if it’s things like shopping, chores, or favors. When a man makes an effort to meet a woman’s needs, and does it without complaining, it shows her that he likes and wants to please her. And that’s a man’s first job, always.

Being Unexpectedly Affectionate

It’s one thing for guys to be sweet to their girl when it’s expected — i.e. kissing hello or goodbye or holding her hand in public. But being romantic when she’s not expecting it can really make her heart skip a beat.

These little actions that may seem insignificant to anyone else, but mean the world to her. Putting an arm around her for no particular reason, little random pecks on the cheek, or doing that amazing little thumb thing while holding hands are just some subtle things that get her every time.

They shout to the world, “Hey! This guy really cares about his girlfriend and no one else.”

Being Passionate & Even a Little Geeky

I mean, come on. What else is better than watching him geek out at his favorite TV show, book, band, planet, tree, and everything else under the sun?

Women love it when their man shows passion about anything. If he can talk for hours about something that interests him, so much so that it’s enough to get her interested, it’s quite endearing. As Evan Marc Katz puts it, “Passion is all about effort and energy and devotion. It’s about living, breathing, and embodying something.” So if a guy is acting this way around a girl, it just goes to show that not all guys are only into football, beer, and strippers.

When a man does these things for his woman, he’s special. Keep him and hold him tight. Because although these may be subtle, they’re always there to show you how much he cares.

[image: via shutterstock]