So recently I saw a post on Instagram asking an interesting question about relationships. The question follows: How do boys know they’re in love? At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through with that question because relationship advice is not exactly my forte. However, I’m willing to try anything so I want to give this a shot. I must warn you dear reader, my perception of love is different and may not match with your own ideas. If you are interested in what I have to say about this topic, then read on. If not, then read on anyways and form your own opinions from my article. With that being said, let us begin.

How do boys know they’re in love?

When they are able to share their emotions in a healthy manner with you.

It is obvious that boys grow up differently than girls. We are taught differently, society and our family’s expectations are unique, and even our emotions differ than that of girls. While young girls are taught to accept and nurture all of their emotions, boys are taught the opposite. While boys can still have emotions, they just can’t have certain ones that get in the way of their masculinity, for that is “unmanly”. Those certain emotions and feelings that we as males are taught to stray away from (according to society) are usually listed as such:

• sadness (boys don’t cry, so man up)
• submission (men must be the dominant ones with no signs of weakness)
• fear (real men aren’t afraid of anything)
• intimacy (only love them for tonight)
• shyness/modesty (don’t be such a girl/women love confidence)

Being a boy, you’re taught only three emotions that will (supposedly) take you on a one-way trip to manhood: confidence, anger, and happiness. According to society, women love a man who is aggressive, confident and is always in a good mood. However that aggressiveness gets really sour in the end, confidence turns into arrogance, and being in the good mood is impossible to have. Without taking care of all of the emotions human beings are supposed to have, the male gender is just a sad and pathetic creature, unworthy of society’s punishing (mentally and physically) views on masculinity.

When a boy is in love, he learns to self-reflect, stays on track with all of his emotions, and does his best to keep it going. He only does this for you because you brought out the best in him. He grows from a lost boy to a fully functioning man that knows when to cry and to say “I love you”. He becomes your biggest cheerleader, supporting you with advice and hugs. However, some folk still have a hard time with that, and that’s okay. If you’re a girl dating a boy who has great difficulty with unchecked emotions, stay strong. If all else fails, there is nothing you can do. You are not obligated to stay. Emotions and baggage are a personal battle that will not be won overnight. He must learn to get help if that is the case. Other than that, my answer still stands:

Boys know they’re in love when they are able to share their emotions in a healthy manner with you.