Your head spins and your heart races; you smile for no reason and walk around in a daze. That special someone is the only thing you can think about. Being in love takes you on a roller coaster of emotions and sensations, and it all starts in your mind.
The chemistry of your brain plays a great role in falling in love – chemicals and hormones make you feel excited, comforted and happy. But why do people fall in love in the first place?
The answer is simple: because we want to. When a man falls in love with you, it’s not random – it’s because you’re exactly what he was looking for. Choosing to love doesn’t take romance out of it at all; in fact, it makes it even more romantic.
These enlightening psychology facts about guys in love will give you insight into how a guy feels when he decides to fall in love with you.
Eye-Opening Psychology Facts About Guys In Love
Romantic love is hard to define. Being in love is a mind-boggling experience that goes beyond facts and explanations – its elusive nature is the reason why it’s been the subject of art for centuries.
When you think about love in terms of what science has to say about it and how it’s influenced by society, it’s difficult to separate it from the impression that there’s always something more to it.
Check out these interesting psychology facts about guys in love and see if they help clear things up.
1. You’re making him high
If you’ve ever been in love, you know the feeling: you’re dizzy, weak in the knees, and your senses feel dulled until you see the one you love. When a man is in love, he feels the same way – high and obsessed.
His brain is flooded with chemicals:
• Dopamine, which makes him feel euphoric,
• Adrenaline and norepinephrine, which give him energy,
• Phenylethylamine, which makes him feel joy,
• Oxytocin, which makes him bond with you,
• Serotonin, which gives him butterflies in the stomach.
All of these neurotransmitters and hormones give a guy in love intense positive emotions whenever he thinks about you, sees you or interacts with you. People normally don’t feel all of this at once, so being hit with such a strong mix of feelings makes him feel like he’s walking on a cloud.
While some of these uncontrollable emotions are typical for the early days of a relationship and become less intense as it progresses, some will stay with him as long as he’s in love with you.
2. Love is blind
When you fall in love, the other person seems perfect – everything about them is just as it should be. Men feel this way too, and it can be either good or bad for your relationship, depending on how it develops.
His first impression of you is influenced by attraction and sex drive. Then, when he gets to know you a little, it’s your personality and behavior that make him feel connected to you.
At first, he might idealize you, but as he learns more about you and his feelings develop, his view of you might change. If it’s just infatuation instead of real love, he might become disillusioned because you don’t fit his imagination.
However, if he really loves you, his feelings about you change from fantasy into accepting everything that you are. As he gets to know you, the initial attraction builds over time as he finds more things about you that he likes.
The more he loves you, the more beautiful you are to him. Your flaws become endearing or he views them as a part of you. When a guy loves you, instead of idealizing you, he accepts all of you. Instead of perfection, he appreciates compatibility and connection.
3. You’re the only one
When a guy is in love, he only has eyes for his beloved. The man who loves you doesn’t notice others, and out of everyone he knows, to him, you are the most attractive and appealing.
The reason for this is that when he sees you, his brain releases oxytocin which makes him feel an enormous sense of joy and happiness.
Oxytocin, a hormone released through physical intimacy like cuddling, kissing and sex is behind attachment and social bonding among loved ones, especially romantic partners. Also known as the “love hormone,” it increases trust and makes people feel content and safe.
Hormones contribute to your bond with each other. He perceives you as more attractive than others and you make him feel good like no one else, so he’s not interested in anyone who isn’t you.
4. The center of his attention
If you suspect a guy might love you, chances are that you’ve noticed him looking at you without blinking, only to look away if you make eye contact with him.
The reason why a guy in love is so focused on the person he loves is that he’s genuinely interested in you. His interest goes beyond what you’re like as a romantic partner, but he’s interested in you as a person.
Love means that he’s attracted to you not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. He’s focused because he cares about what you want to share and doesn’t want to miss anything you say or do.
A man in love wants to deepen your connection. He wants to hear what you have to say, so he’ll appear as a great listener. For him, your opinions hold value and your actions are fascinating, so he’ll give you thoughtful responses.
He wants to know you, so no information about you is trivial – your likes, dislikes, passions and interests. He’ll zoom in on even the smallest things that make you you, such as your habits, mannerisms or speech patterns.
This intense amount of attention can be flattering or excessive, depending on how you feel about him.
5. He’ll change – for you
You can’t change another person, but in relationships, partners change because of each other. Love makes people more open to experiences, so instead of feeling pressured to adapt, a guy in love wants to become more like you.
Feelings of love create a desire to become closer to the person you love, so a man will let you influence him because he loves you. Desire to connect with you results in a willingness to get out of his comfort zone and try new things that you might be interested in.
Couples grow individually and together when they learn from each other. Sharing new experiences makes your relationship more satisfying and your connection deeper.
6. Your love is an addiction
Euphoria, cravings, withdrawal, emotional and physical dependence; is it love or addiction? It’s both, and that’s how a guy feels when he’s in love.
Romantic love is an addiction. They share the same symptoms and the same causes. The chemicals that make you feel high and, when separated from your significant other, make you feel cravings and withdrawal are the same.
One of the culprits is dopamine, a part of the brain’s reward system. This neurotransmitter, also known as the feel-good chemical, makes you feel pleasure.
Shopping, eating delicious food or getting likes on social media posts all trigger dopamine release – and light up the same areas of the brain as love and attraction.
You feel rewarded when you do something that releases dopamine, so you want more. This is how you get addicted to drugs, but also food, sex or Instagram.
And love.
When a guy in love sees you, he feels a dopamine rush. It brings him great pleasure, and he feels like he won something, so he needs to see you again. In time, he becomes addicted to the feeling.
Elevated cortisol levels are another reason why some people become addicted to love. Stress makes his body enter the fight-or-flight state and his cortisol levels rise. If he perceives falling in love as taking a risk and enjoys it, a man in love will want to feel the rush of the experience again.
7. Feelings are hard
Men and women experience the same feelings, but harmful ideas about gender roles create difficulty in expressing emotions for everyone.
Society has different expectations of men and women – women are supposed to be more emotionally expressive, while men are discouraged from showing how they feel to appear strong.
This creates pressure on women to appear softer and hide their negative feelings, such as anger, and men feel pressured to hide their feelings altogether. Some people feel like they have to behave in accordance with gender stereotypes to be accepted.
Men are often led to believe that vulnerability is weakness, which results in difficulty forming emotional bonds and connecting with people.
Some men experience fear of appearing weak and having their feelings hurt, so even if they love you, they can seem distant and uninterested.
8. He doesn’t care what others say
While some men are more influenced by restrictive gender stereotypes, others prefer to live their lives differently.
Even though it’s expected of men to be tough, stay in control and avoid showing their feelings, a man in love who is more secure in his masculinity won’t care what people think. If he wants to show his love, he does it without concern about what other people think.
When a guy is in love, his priorities change, so instead of trying to follow arbitrary rules of behavior, he decides to focus on his partner. Acting lovey-dovey in public or openly talking about his feelings might be looked down upon, but he doesn’t care.
Even though some men can find social acceptance in acting in accordance with gender stereotypes, it’s impossible for most people to feel fulfilled without forming meaningful human relationships.
A happy romantic relationship based on emotional connection requires vulnerability and openness, so men who manage to overcome societal expectations achieve them more easily.
9. Head over heels
Another side of love seemingly influenced by gender roles is the idea that men fall in love faster but are also more likely to move on than women. What’s behind this interesting psychological fact?
Research conducted among college students concluded that in heterosexual relationships, men fall in love faster and say “I love you” first, even though the general belief is that women would be the first to fall in love.
The researcher offers an evolutionary explanation: women are focused on stability and finding the right partner, while men don’t have to choose so carefully.
Women avoid falling in love quickly to avoid getting pregnant by the wrong guy, while men can move on easily if they’re not happy with their choice at any point. The danger of thinking in terms of biological determination is that people often use them to justify self-centered or hurtful behavior – in this particular case, infidelity.
Luckily, human beings don’t live in societies where decisions are made based on species survival any longer, so this is just an interesting psychological fact.
10. Flirting and teasing
Flirtatious teasing is how couples connect with each other. It’s a playful way to develop a bond and show affection. A man in love will playfully tease you to make you laugh and lighten the mood.
Laughing together and having fun says a lot about compatibility. It’s a good sign that your relationship has potential. To be able to enjoy each other’s sense of humor, you have to be on the same wavelength.
Teasing and flirting are low-pressure ways to connect and become closer. It helps you grow the friendship between you, become comfortable with each other and create positive memories.
If a guy teases you in a way that’s good-natured and never mean, he’s happy to be around you and wants you to feel the same way. He’s asking you to play with him and tease him back.
11. You make the pain go away
Love hurts, as everyone knows. But have you ever heard that love is a painkiller?
The reward systems in the brain which make him feel addicted also help reduce physical pain. It’s enough for him to look at a picture of you to feel the soothing effects of chemicals affecting his brain.
The more he’s obsessed with you, the stronger the analgesic power of looking at you becomes. It’s strongest early on in the relationship when his brain is flooded with various feel-good chemicals.
12. A better man for you
When a man realizes that he is devoted to you, his perception and values change. Often, men who used to be uncaring or indifferent change when they fall in love.
There are two reasons why men act like this. The first is that a man who loves you wants you to have a more flattering view of him, and the other is because he genuinely wants to make you happy.
If you see him as worthy of your love, you’re more likely to accept him, but he also cares about your well-being.
As he considers how his behavior affects you, he becomes more attentive and kind. Instead of focusing only on what he wants, he thinks about your needs. To a man in love, how his partner feels matters as much as his own feelings, even more.
13. The protector and the provider
Traditionally, men were expected to provide shelter, food and everything else necessary for their families, so his sudden urge to provide for you in some way has its roots in stereotypical gender roles.
Even if you don’t need him to, deeply ingrained social norms will make some men feel like they have to make sure you’re provided for and protected. This is how men show you that you’re important to them.
Being useful awakens his hero instinct which raises his self-esteem. As long as he feels like he’s contributing something and making your life easier and better, he’ll be happy.
One of the signs that a guy is in love with you is his willingness to compromise and change to fit into your life and vice versa.
He wants to be your hero – all you have to do is call for him and he’ll be there for you. He’ll be more than happy to come rushing to help you out. To give him a sense of purpose, ask him for advice, ask him to do something for you or compliment him.
14. Show-off
One of the psychology facts about guys in love that won’t surprise anyone is that they want to impress their partners.
Depending on the guy, this can take many forms, depending on his self-esteem and what he feels confident about. He might start taking special care of his appearance, show off his talents and abilities or brag about his achievements.
Being in love will make him more impulsive and eager to fulfill your wishes. Small, thoughtful acts or grand gestures, he’ll find something to do for you or show you that he believes will make you happy and impress you.
15. You get the best of him
A man in love won’t only try to impress you with the way he is right now, but he’ll try to improve himself. If he tries to stop his bad habits to show you that he’s committed, he might have a greater chance of success than before falling in love.
The reason why this works is that a bad habit, such as smoking, can be replaced by anything that activates the same brain reward mechanism it does. In other words, he can replace a bad habit with the rush that being in love with you gives him.
It won’t just be easier, but more likely as well. A guy in love is trying to show you that he can be better and do better, so he’ll be motivated to make a positive change.
16. Fools fall in love
Love turns simple creatures into even simpler creatures – it’s not uncommon for people in love to do embarrassing things that they’d otherwise never do. Being in love impairs judgment and arousal affects critical thinking.
Self-awareness drops to an all-time low and both his own feelings and yours become more important than consequences.
When he’s riding high on the wave of hormones and neurotransmitters, doing silly things and making mistakes is inevitable. Cut him some slack because you’re probably in the same boat.
17. He won’t share you
A man in love wants you all for himself. Even someone who’s usually not a possessive person can become jealous when they fall for a new romantic partner.
The intense feelings of falling in love can make him crave all of your attention and become upset when he doesn’t get it.
Spotting this isn’t difficult – a jealous man is an open book. His face will turn sour when he sees you talking with another guy, he’ll be clingy and try to stay as close to you as possible.
In time, he might learn to trust you and stop acting out, but if he doesn’t, you might have to address the issue.
18. The way he loves you changes with time
When you first fall in love, it’s exciting and thrilling more than anything else. As you get to know each other better, your relationship develops, grows and changes. Even if it was initially based on attraction, in time, its focus shifts to attachment.
This doesn’t mean that attraction and lust go away, only that their importance fades when compared to emotional intimacy. As you open up to each other, show one another vulnerability and develop a bond, you realize what true love means.
A happily married man doesn’t stop feeling excited about his wife and your brains don’t stop producing the same dopamine which makes you crave each other in the beginning. You can still be in love after years of being together, but it all depends on how you nurture your relationship.
Healthy and happy relationships that go on for many years require willingness and effort on both sides. If both of you take care of each other and your relationship, passion and affection won’t go away.
The way he loves you changes but doesn’t diminish. As he forms attachment to you, it only becomes stronger.
In Summary
A man in love experiences emotional and physical turbulence. If his feelings are returned, he feels happy, energized and on top of the world. If he’s unsure, he guards his heart to protect it.
Even though the object of his affection becomes a priority, societal norms and expectations can influence his behavior. Don’t be surprised if he’s softer around you but, at the same time, more stereotypically masculine.Psychology facts about guys in love are eye-opening and give you insight into what’s behind his behavior. Now that you know how he feels and you feel the same, show him that you love him right back.