“Is this love? Is this love? Is this love? Is this love that I’m feeling?”
Excerpts from Bob Marley’s famous song echo the question in the hearts of most people in relationships.
For some, the question is about how they truly feel, and for others, it is about the genuineness of what their partner feels for them.
Every woman dreams of finding that special man who truly loves and treats them right.
This is because the search for true love is the ultimate one in the world today.
Beyond the butterflies, the jitters, the gifts, flowers, chocolates, rose petals, and sweet words that sweep you off your feet, what are the signs of true love from a guy?
Fortunately, this article will be dissecting that today.
Ladies, fasten your seat belts as we ride into the heart of love to unravel the signs of true love from a guy.
10 Subtle And Not So Subtle Signs Of True Love From A Guy
1. His eyes always light up when you’re in the room
One of the most obvious signs that a guy truly loves you is seen in his eyes.
You’ve got to credit those who say that the eyes are the window of the soul because it rings so true!
If a guy truly loves you, his eyes will show it, and his voice will reveal it.
You’ll see the light in his eyes when you enter the room, you’ll hear the joy in his voice when he is talking with you over the phone, and these emotions will also be carried in his SMS to you.
It is unmistakable.
2. He loves to spend quality time with you
A guy who truly loves you will spend quality time with you, not out of obligation or because he wants to get into your good books.
This guy delights in being with you, talking to you, and doing things with you.
He could be a die-hard football fan who suddenly would give up his favorite pastime just to be with you.
This reminds me of when my husband and I were just friends; I noticed he loved to speak to me.
We would gist for hours over the phone.
Even when he went to serve the Nigerian government in a faraway village where there was no network for calls, he would go as far as climbing a tree to get a bar of network to call me.
This really melted my heart and made me more committed to our friendship.
Please note that a guy can spend quality time with you to make you happy or because it is what you want.
However, this may not indicate that he truly loves you.
Playboys do it all the time; they patiently spend time doing the things you love because they want to get into your pants.
This is purely transactional.
A guy who truly loves you will do it just because he loves you and not because he seeks anything in return.
3. He doesn’t mind sacrificing for you
What’s love without sacrifice?
Nothing.
Take a cue from Jack Dawson in the movie “Titanic”… Love is sacrificial.
Although some people argue that Jack was such a fool, I’d say he was a fool for love.
Just so you know, I am not saying that this guy has to die for you.. but his love has to be beyond lip service.
Whether it is sacrificing his time, money, or ego for you, the sacrifice element is an essential part of true love.
While we were still friends, I remember how my husband would sacrifice his sleep to talk to me, and while I was the nocturnal one, this guy didn’t joke with his sleep.
In the days of MTN Xtracool, we once did a whooping eight-hour stretch of call from 8 pm to 3 am, and he had to go to work the following day, and I also had classes.
We also spent a lot of airtime between us on the call from 8 pm to midnight before the free night call feature was activated.
It may have seemed like a poor decision at the time, but what happened was that we both sacrificed our convenience for each other.
It’s the kind of stuff you don’t do every day for just anyone but would have no qualms about giving up for that special someone.
This is what true love looks like.
4. He thinks the best thoughts of you
A guy who truly loves you would hold you in high esteem.
From his thoughts to his words, you’ll not doubt that he thinks excellent thoughts about you.
I once dated a guy who literally worshipped the ground I walked on; he thought the best about me and never hid it.
He knew my past but never judged me.
Even till he got married, he kept saying amazing things about me; the only issue was that I didn’t feel the same way about him, and I knew playing along would scar us both.
However, I had no doubts that this guy truly loved me.
Our thoughts always metamorphose into words, so you can always know where you stand with your guy by noting what he says in your presence and absence.
Also, note what he says in the heat of emotions or when there is conflict.
5. He is forgiving
“To err is human, but to forgive is divine,” they say.
As humans, we will always offend each other as we relate.
In fact, when handled rightly, conflict fosters deeper understanding in the relationship.
A guy who truly loves you will be big on forgiveness.
If his heart is large enough to love you, it will be large enough to forgive your missteps.
Some people have started normalizing toxic traits like silent treatment, malice, and gaslighting.
Let me tell you something: if he does all these things but later comes to tell you that he loves you, but you made him react that way, best believe that he is a pathological liar.
A guy who loves you will forgive you because he loves you.
This doesn’t mean he won’t feel the hurt of the offense, but the love in his heart would be the driver of the action of forgiveness.
If you’ve found such a guy, I advise you to keep him.
6. He is understanding
Understanding is such a beautiful thing that helps relationships thrive.
A guy who truly loves you will be understanding or at least make good efforts to show understanding towards you.
He won’t always be overly focused on himself and what he wants, but he’ll extend grace toward you when needed.
This is a subtle sign that is no less important.
7. His actions show it all
Check his actions; they reveal a whole lot.
You’ll find that he is caring and kind; he defends you, supports you, and so on.
His actions will reveal the actual state of his heart, and make sure to check the consistency of his actions, too.
Time and time again, it has been proven that actions speak louder than words.
8. He wants the best for you
How do you know that your friends truly love you?
The number one sign is that they always seek and want the best for you, whatever that is.
It also applies in this case.
A guy who truly loves you will desire the best for you and will cheer you on while on it.
This, in many ways, looks like unwavering support, but it is more than that.
It may also look like delayed gratification.
I once heard the story of a guy and lady who were in the heat of romance; the feast was set, and all he needed to do was eat (I mean have sex with her).
Suddenly, he stopped and apologized sincerely to her.
Still shaking in desire, he tried to articulate how deeply he felt about her, and because of it, he didn’t want to deflower her because he felt that would be selfish.
She had previously shared her desire to keep her virginity until marriage, and he felt bound to help her achieve that.
They continued their relationship more circumspectly this time, and eventually, they got married.
To date, they are still married.
His wanting the best for you may mean delayed gratification or that he has to lose something in exchange.
9. He respects you
Love and respect should be synonyms, in my opinion, because how do you claim to love someone you don’t respect or value?
A man who truly loves you will respect you.
Respect here speaks of value and honor.
He won’t treat you in a dishonoring way.
He won’t yell at you, use derogatory words on you, or physically abuse you.
Similarly, he won’t body shame you or expect you to be his prostitute.
A guy who regards and honors you in words and actions truly loves you.
10. He wants a long-term relationship with you
A guy who loves you truly will want more than a fling with you.
He would always want to have you in his life.
Remember how we started by talking about how true love is the ultimate search of humans?
Yes, seeing that his search has come to an end, he’ll want a future with you.
I understand that with the ‘premium breakfasts‘ making rounds in the dating space, it is sometimes hard to believe true love exists.
But it really does!
I also agree that it’s not the easiest thing to detect.
Although we have shared these ten signs to help you weigh your guy, if you feel you are still unsure, I’d advise you to give it time.
Time is a revealer of the heart’s intent.
Clarity will come if you are patient for it.
Cheers!