Is he giving all the right signs, but not really doing anything about it?
Does he flirt with you, stare at you, but hold back from asking you out or telling you that he likes you?
As frustrating as the circumstance could seem like, it’s a lot more common than you think!
Girls may assume that just batting their eyelids at a guy or smiling at him is enough of a sign for him to approach them.
But to a guy, there are a million ways to interpret your display of invitation.
[Read: How to know if a guy likes you when he won’t even talk to you!]Why isn’t he asking you out yet?
There are two ways of dealing with a crush in a guy’s mind, when it comes to making a move on the girl he likes. One, he makes a bold move and tells a girl he likes her instantly or within a few days of liking her.
Or the other way, he waits patiently and works his courage up to make sure he asks the girl out at the right moment, when he assumes she won’t decline him.
So is this guy who’s flirting with you just biding his time while waiting for the right moment, or does he have something else in mind?
17 reasons why a guy may hold himself back from asking you out
Every scenario is different. But surprisingly, almost always, if a guy behaves like he likes you and hits on you, but stops himself from asking you out, the reasons are just a few.
And these 17 reasons can sum up all the reasons behind why he’s withholding his display of love and stopping himself from telling you that he likes you.
#1 He’s intimidated by you. So you think you’re a warm and friendly person? Well, think again! Does he look at you or try to catch your eye often? Has he ever tried to talk to you by walking up to you? Perhaps, you see yourself as warm and friendly, but he thinks you’ll swat him away for even trying to talk to you! [Read: 13 charming ways to appear approachable to guys]
Try to be more approachable and friendly. And when you have the odd chance of coincidence, give him enough opportunities to strike a conversation with you. [Read: 15 accidental conversation starters you can use on a guy you like]
#2 He’s taken. Yes, he could be dating someone else, or worse, married already! Then why on earth is he staring at you? Well, in all probability, he likes the attention he’s getting back from you. Or perhaps, he’s looking for a fling thing, but just biding his time for the right opportunity to seduce you! [Read: A guy with a girlfriend likes you… now what?!]
#3 You’re too hot! If a guy flirts with you, sticks around you and displays every sign that he’s crazy about you, and yet, he holds back from asking you out, he may just think you’re too good for him.
If a guy thinks you’re a goddess who would never even be interested in dating a mere mortal like him, he may just choose to hang out with you and subtly flirt with you, instead of asking you out on a real date. [Read: 30 subtle, obvious and sexy flirting tips to use on a guy who likes you]
#4 You mean too much to him. Are the both of you good friends? Sometimes, however unlikely as this may seem, a guy may choose to stay friends with a girl he really likes instead of asking her out because he doesn’t want to ruin the perfect platonic relationship both of you share. Simply put, he doesn’t want to lose you as a friend in his pursuit of trying to date you.
#5 You’re taken. A guy may like you, but he may hold himself back from asking you out because he may have reasons to believe you like someone else or that you’re already seeing someone else. Your friends could have spread that rumor or he may have assumed it for some reason.
Now if you do like him, you need to make it clear to him *subtly* that you’re not interested in dating anyone but him. [Read: 9 subtle and fun ways to get a guy to ask you out]
#6 He’s a shy baby! They do make them this way even in these non-conservative times. A guy may show every sign of liking you from afar, and yet not make any move to approach you or talk to you. So what do you do? If you like him, well, drop a few signs and give him the reassurance he needs to man up and ask you out. [Read: How to get a shy guy to fall madly in love and ask you out]
#7 He finds you too easy. Guys say they’re put off by a girl who plays hard to get, but at the same time, if you come across as very easy, that’ll give a guy more reasons to walk all over you.
If you’re wondering why he hasn’t asked you out, ask yourself if you’re giving into him too easily. At times, a guy may not make the effort to pursue you because he knows you’re very into him already. [Read: How to attract and keep a guy interested in a way he’d find irresistible]
#8 The happy flirter. He flirts with you and teases you, but he has no intention of taking it forward. Perhaps, he likes you but doesn’t want to date you. Or maybe you aren’t the kind of girl he’s looking for. So until he finds the right girl, he may just choose to flirt with you and use you as the backup girl. [Read: The 12 dating stereotypes of women in a man’s mind]
#9 He’s dating you in his mind. In his head, he thinks the both of you are together already. He’s not considered the idea of naming the relationship, nor has he realized that you need words of love or reassurance to feel better about the nameless relationship both of you share.
If you’re in this dilemma, you just need to get him to say the words out loud. [Read: Different ways to tell a special someone that you love them without using the three words]
#10 He wants a fling with you. He may be a player who just wants a fling thing with you. You’ve asked him out already or you’ve hinted to him that you like him, but he deflects it and changes the conversation. But surprisingly, he’s still touchy flirty all the time. If a guy likes feeling you up and teasing you, but avoids all talk of commitment, he’s probably looking at you as a one night stand potential.
#11 You ask him out! This may seem rather silly, but there could be the possibility that this guy you like is just waiting for you to ask him out. If you really love a guy, dropping a few hints that you like him may just make the world conspire in your favor. [Read: How to ask a guy out like a classy and suave girl]
#12 He’s playing hard to get. He knows you like him a lot because you’ve made it pretty obvious to him time and again. And now, he’s waiting it out to see just how hard you’d try to win him over. Or maybe he just wants to keep the relationship casual until he can make up his mind because he knows you’ll come running into his arms whenever he wants you to.
#13 He’s waiting for the right moment. He’s a softie or a romantic, and as much as he loves you and is crazy about you, he’s just waiting for the right moment to ask you out. But what’s this right moment, you ask? Well, who knows?! To make it easier, just make sure you give him several opportunities and alone time so he can work his courage up and ask you out. [Read: 18 clear signs to decode his body language around you]
#14 You’re a flirt. If there’s one kind of girl most guys prefer to stay away from, it’s the serial flirter who makes every guy feel like a potential suitor! If a guy you like thinks you’re a serial flirt, he may just end up leaving you for someone else because he can’t ever be sure about your sincerity towards him or your feelings for him.
#15 The wrong relationship. He may be cautious to ask you out because others that matter to him may frown upon the relationship. A few great examples that could fall into this are office relationships, a best friend’s ex lover, a relative, etc.
#16 Commitment issues. He’s never really been in a serious relationship with any girl, and he just doesn’t see himself getting tied down by a girl anytime soon. He may like you a lot, but his fear of commitment may be forcing him to bottle his feelings for you. [Read: 10 sure signs he’s got the fear of commitment]
#17 He needs time. He could be a really good guy, but you may have come across him at the wrong time. He’s still healing from a past relationship that went sour, or he’s going through some serious issues in life that’s stopping him from committing to you or expressing his love for you because he doesn’t believe he’s ready to get into a new relationship just yet.
