He may be courteous but not curious. Some men may be well-mannered and show this by remembering your name, making eye contact, engaging in small talk, being an attentive listener, and asking questions with apparent sincere interest. But this may only be an indicator of courtesy, emotional maturity, or good human relations skills. While all these positive things are helpful in creating a friendly atmosphere, it would be unwise for you to jump to the conclusion that the man is actually interested in a romantic way. It may simply be a case of a more refined, civilized man acting in a courteous manner towards you as a person. Don't mistake these as signals that a guy likes you.
He may be curious, but not actually be interested or even like you. Sometimes you will run across a man who expresses a lot of curiosity in the way he asks questions, gives you his full attention, and keeps his eyes riveted on you. But these behaviors don't automatically mean that the man is interested in dating you or that he has developed any feelings of affection towards you. He may just find you to be interesting looking and/or he may be already involved with another woman and this is his one seemingly harmless way of enjoying the variety of other women in a detached, non-threatening way. Sure, these may be signs of attraction, but before you assume anything, we want to be sure.
He may like you some, but not enough to risk the pressure of rejection. A man may have positive feelings for you, but those feelings aren't strong enough or clear enough at this point to make the effort of pursuing you aggressively. It could be that the circumstances of his life make it much easier and less painful to just let this romantic opportunity pass. Perhaps he feels the competition for you is too stiff, that you're already involved with another man, or that you don't think very highly of him. In any case, the guy figures that it's just not worth the hassle to pursue you and feel the pressure of a possible rejection. On the other hand, if a man starts asking around with your mutual acquaintances about you, then that may be his way of gathering all the facts before making his big calculated move towards asking you out. This could be considered one of the sure signs a guy likes you.
He may like you enough to overcome his fears and ask you out on a date. If a man actually asks you out for a date, then that confirms his initial interest and positive feelings in the clearest way. If he backs that up by making a real effort in planning the date, spending money, treating you with respect, and showing you a good time, then you may be well on your way to being asked out again. You can help your cause towards continuing this dating relationship by: expressing gratitude, allowing the man to get comfortable, enjoying yourself on the date, and engaging in lively conversation that leaves a pleasant imprint on the man's heart and mind.
What you don't know after a few dates with a man is who you're competing with. Two questions that remain are: 1) Does he like you more than anyone else in his life right now? And 2) Does he like you more than anyone else he's ever known? The answers to these questions will largely be determined in the future by the romantic chemistry that naturally develops between the two of you and the bonds of intimacy you start sharing with each other.
