Signs a Guy Is Jealous – How to Spot Male Jealousy
Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can tell us a lot about the person. Sometimes we want others to be jealous, sometimes realizing someone’s jealousy is boosting our egos, and in some situations, it’s an emotion we’d rather stay clear of.
Men get jealous for all sorts of reasons, and the way they express this emotion varies. Today we’re going to talk about male jealousy, what makes guys jealous, and how to navigate this feeling for the best outcome.
What Is Male Jealousy?
Male jealousy is an emotional response that comes from the man feeling threatened by someone else and fearing for his perceived value and importance. Male jealousy can be a result of actual “danger” or subjective feelings when, in reality, there is nothing for the man to worry about.
Why Do Men Get Jealous?
There are a number of reasons why men get jealous, the main ones being insecurity, fear of rejection, and feeling less than others. Some of it comes from their internal perceptions and past experiences, and some reasons for jealousy are engineered by the society which portrays a certain role for men with clear milestones and traits that they’re supposed to have.
If a Guy Gets Jealous, Does He Have Feelings?
Jealousy is an emotion that comes from feelings, so yes. However, not every jealousy is good. Sometimes it’s a symptom of him loving and caring about someone, and wanting to protect them, but also sometimes it’s a worrying sign of him being insecure, possessive, and emotionally immature.
Signs a Guy Is Jealous – How to Know If He’s Feeling Possessive
Some men are good at hiding their feelings and emotions, but the majority will show that they’re jealous. It will be easy to spot if you know what to look for.
General Signs That a Man Is Jealous
Most men will exhibit one or several qualities below if they’re jealous and possessive.
- Frequent check-ins and asking where you are, what you’re doing, and who you’re with.
- He will criticize people around you, especially those who could potentially become his romantic rivals, such as close friends or colleagues you spend most of the week with.
- You making plans or having a good time without him will be a source of annoyance and conflict.
- He’ll act like a protector even when such behavior is completely uncalled for.
- You’ll notice that he’s paying extra close attention to who you’re following on social media, what posts you’re liking, and the people you’re texting with.
- His need for constant validation will be obvious as he’ll try to get regular confirmations of your feelings towards him.
You will definitely see a lot of mood swings from him. One minute he’s all over you, and then the next he’s cold and distant. The common denominator and the trigger for such mood swings will usually be you mentioning someone else.
Signs the Guy You Met Online Is a Jealous Player
Some guys are just jealous, and then there are jealous players. They don’t really care about you, and they’re not looking to build a relationship with you that’s based on trust and authenticity. They’re just messy.
Here are the distinct signs a guy is jealous and is a player.
- He’s hot and cold from day one, and he’s getting hotter immediately when he finds out you’re talking to someone else and having a good time.
- Love bombing is an extreme version of hot and cold behavior that this person can resort to if he feels like you’re slipping away from him or he’s just extra vile.
- He’s keeping secrets about his life while wanting to know everything about yours. If you dare point out that he’s only receiving and not giving anything in return, the jealous player will fall off the face of Earth for a while, hoping that you’ll not come back to this conversation when he resurfaces again.
- He’s competitive with other people in your life and can be dismissive of others’ success and achievements if he feels that it’s important for or impressive to you.
Perhaps, out of all the man jealous signs, the one that confirms that you’re dealing with a jealous player most accurately is if he’s super avoidant of commitment, but also gets very jealous and possessive if someone else is on your horizon.
These are the guys who will happily manipulate you and your feelings to maintain control over you without promising or doing anything in return.
Subtle Signs a Man Is Jealous of a Woman
How to know if a guy is jealous of another woman? Easy! There are several key signs that will confirm this for you.
First, he will start downplaying her success and minimizing her achievements. If he’s an extra evil person, he’ll be throwing in sexist remarks along with it. He’ll also be criticizing her here and there, usually with little remarks and passive-aggressive comments. If someone points that out to him, he’ll deny and ridicule those claims. Alternatively, he’ll be withholding compliments and any positive affirmations that she may deserve.
Overall, guys turn defensive and irritated when the woman they’re jealous of comes up in conversations. They feel the need to compete with those women, and they’re not afraid to use dirty tactics to damage women’s reputations and good names.
Signs a Man Is Jealous of Another Man
There are distinct signs a guy is jealous of another man that is different from when they’re jealous of a woman.
A jealous man will make critical remarks and subtly spread gossip and negative information about his opponent, and he’ll try to exclude him from social events, projects, and even conversations. He’ll also be possessive over his partner if the said man is in immediate proximity.
The guy who’s jealous will also make passive-aggressive jokes and disguise his jealousy and sarcasm as humor while actively mocking him. Another dead giveaway is when the guy’s body language changes around someone. If man A is jealous of man B, he’ll be tense, clench his jaws, cross arms or legs, and be visibly uncomfortable.
What Makes Guys Jealous? Triggers You Should Know
There are several key triggers that result in male jealousy. You should know them and watch out for signs.
Common Jealousy Triggers for Men
- Someone’s success and achievements
- Attention from other men, whether romantic or not
- Any kind of interaction on social media, such as likes, comments, or DMs
- Conversations about past relationships
- Living an active social life that involves meeting many different people
- When a man doesn’t know where he stands with you in terms of the relationship
How Can You Make a Guy Jealous?
Making guys jealous is super easy for the most part. With the most insecure men, anything is enough to trigger them, even mentioning another guy’s name, complimenting someone else in their presence, or even simply existing in the world with other men. It’s also possible to spike jealousy if you’re acting a bit mysterious and post strategic social media content that will make him nervous.
Dealing with Male Jealousy – What to Do Next
If you spot male jealousy signs, there are several things you can do. You can play with his feelings, you can try to reassure him that there’s nothing to worry about, you can change something that causes jealousy, or you can ignore everything and continue living your life.
Is Jealousy Healthy in a Relationship?
Jealousy is one of many emotions we feel and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. At the same time, if it spirals out of control, jealousy can become the reason for constant fights and even verbal or physical abuse.
A little bit of jealousy is no big deal though as it can indicate that the other person is simply head over heels for you. Also, if you’re acting a certain way, then jealousy may be warranted.
How to Handle a Jealous Boyfriend
The way you handle your boyfriend will depend on the level of jealousy we’re talking about. If he’s not out of control, then you can try and talk to him, get to the bottom of the issue, talk things out, and agree on the next steps to prevent jealousy.
If your partner is inadequately jealous and it causes you to say No to things in life, such as meeting with friends, work dinners, and even following people on social media, then you already know what you should do. Talk to him, identify boundaries, and watch to see if he respects them.
Don’t be afraid to leave an overly jealous partner because such people often deal with something else, like a deeply embedded insecurity, and they won’t be good partners to you until they work it out with their own demons.
If you really like this person, ask him to do couple therapy or simply draft an action plan to improve the situation. But again, don’t be afraid to leave, even if you really like him. Your peace is so much more important.
How to Get a Player to Fall for You (Without Feeding His Ego)
We’ll start with a public announcement: players don’t deserve you, you shouldn’t chase after people who aren’t genuinely good and compatible with you. Instead, find a trusted dating platform with lots of confident singles who won’t ruin your day with silly jealousy scenes.
Now that this is out of the way, here are some tips to make the player fall for you.
- Maintain your independence
- Exude confidence (even if you’re sort of not confident right now)
- Spend more time with friends, colleagues, and family
- Set boundaries and follow through with them
- Don’t be someone who is always readily available, say No more
- Keep your standards high and don’t lower them for the player
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I test if a guy is jealous?
It’s best not to run tests on people’s feelings. If they find out you’re doing it, they can feel manipulated and betrayed, and it can ruin your relationship for good. If you’re confident you want to do this, start mentioning other guys in conversations, compliment them innocently, and spend more time with friends. You should start to see the signs a guy is jealous by that point.
Can jealousy be a sign of true love?
Jealousy is a sign that the person cares for you. Surely, it can indicate that they’re in love and are afraid to lose you. However, jealousy is usually not about you but the other person. We’re jealous because we lack confidence and we’re insecure. True love involves trust and understanding that you both are independent and have free will, so jealousy is contained at that point.
What should I do if my boyfriend gets jealous easily?
If you always spot the signs a guy is jealous, it’s something that needs to be addressed ASAP. Jealousy is draining, and it will have a negative effect on your relationship. Try to have an open and honest talk with him, and go to couples therapy if you can’t work it out on your own.
