Q&A for How to Recognize That You Have a Crush on Someone

Show up on time and be present. Avoid taking out your phone while on the date. You should also remember to always be yourself. It may sound basic, but it's important.

Let the conversation flow organically as you get to know them. Ask them about their plans for the weekend or how they plan on spending their summer. Consider asking questions about their lifestyle and values as well.

You need to keep yourself safe, first and foremost - feeling suicidal is a warning sign that you may have low self-esteem or a mental health issue. (Please take a look at How to Cope With Suicidal Thoughts to keep yourself safe.) It's understandably painful to think of your crush with someone else, but rejection doesn't determine your worth and just because people are saying your friend would be perfect with your crush doesn't mean you're undesirable or lesser than your friend. Talk to your friend about your feelings for your crush, and make it clear that people saying this makes you feel bad about yourself and you'd like it to stop. If your friend seems dismissive or people are refusing to listen to you, it might be better to spend time with other people. You deserve people who will treat you well, whether they're friends, crushes, or otherwise.

If you don't have feelings for your friend or you don't think a relationship there is a good idea, then your friend needs to learn that it won't work out. Staying single just because you pity your friend — or worse, dating the friend out of pity — will just make it more painful in the long run.

Think about it - do you go after every girl you spend time with? Chances are, the answer is no. You're most likely just grappling with jealousy, which is completely normal when you have a crush (nobody wants their crush to like someone else!). While it's possible she could be crushing on one of her friends , keep in mind that people can be friends with someone of another gender and not have a crush on them.

Pay attention to the people they talk about, and watch where their eyes go. It may sound kind of creepy and stalker-ish, but that's what you're signing up for.

Sure! You can have more than one crush. If you can't decide which to pursue, consider going for the more recent crush. After all, if you were obsessed with the first one, you probably wouldn't have noticed the second.

Try to get into the conversation he is having with his friends. Befriend his friends first, especially if they are easier to approach. Help him in every way you can with small favors and projects.

Just be natural about it. If you say something stupid, don't be afraid to say "Sorry. I'm just nervous." Your crush will probably think it's cute.

How do you feel about him? Do you want to be his best friend or more than a friend? Ultimately, it comes down to one question - do you want to date him, or just hang out? Dating involves commitment, physical intimacy, and privacy. If this sounds daunting or undesirable, it is just a friend crush.

It's possible to recognize someone as attractive and not have any romantic feelings for him. Just focus on being friends, and don't worry too much about the butterflies in your stomach unless the crush develops in a romantic direction.

Test it before you say anything you can't take back. Sitting slightly closer to them every time you talk is a good way to test the relationship's boundaries.

You can always try asking subtle questions that require open answers. For example, ask if he has a date to an event, or say "Hey, that girl just checked you out! What are you going to do?"

Once you know them well enough, just say there's something I'd like to tell you, and just open up. Whatever happens then is what happens.

You need to look very closely at your intentions and your feelings. Are you sure you're over this crush? What would be your reason for telling him? Sometimes, we can subconsciously bury our feelings for someone because we know we can't be with them, but that doesn't mean the crush has gone away. What would you do if it turned out he reciprocated - or, alternatively, if he got uncomfortable and began distancing himself? He also might wonder why you're expressing this to him when you both have partners, since that would seem rather odd in and of itself. In most cases, it would probably be better to not talk about it, though there's nothing stopping you if you really think it's the best course of action.

Avoid seeing them whenever possible, even if it means taking a different route or talking to certain friends less often. You can return to your old habits once the feeling has gone away.

Take note if you want to meet them more than any other online friend, if you want to be physically affectionate with them if or when you meet them (e.g. hugging, kissing, or cuddling them), if you're easily embarrassed or get shy when talking to them, or daydream about them more often than not. Usually, it won't feel that different than a crush on a person you know offline, with the exception of not physically being around that person.

You can just outright ask him, "Are you dating anybody?" or "Do you have a girlfriend?" If you're really too afraid to ask directly, you can try looking at his social media profiles for clues or asking, "How's your girlfriend?" and seeing if he corrects you, but being direct is the best way to get the answer you're looking for. Remember - chances are good that he's not going to find it nearly as weird as you're worried it might be!

Not necessarily - there's a big difference between being close friends and being romantically attracted to someone. If you're just interested in spending more time with a friend who happens to be the same gender, that might mean you're just close friends. However, if your feelings are more romantic in nature (e.g., you want to kiss the person or go on dates, or feel nervous or fluttery around the person), it's possible you could be same-gender attracted - but that still doesn't mean you're gay! Some people have sexual orientations that are attracted to multiple genders, like bisexual or pansexual people. And, even in the cases of those who are same-gender attracted, it's entirely possible to have a same-gender best friend and not be romantically interested.

Don't worry, that's normal. Lots of people have crushes on people of the same gender, and plenty of them can still be attracted to other genders as well. It's possible this may be a one-time same-gender crush, but it could also be possible that you're LGBT+. Try looking up LGBT+ identities (such as bisexuality or pansexuality) and talking to LGBT+ people about their experiences. While nobody's path is the same and this may be a fleeting crush, learning more about LGBT+ identities can help you to understand yourself a little better, even if it just confirms that you're usually not attracted to people of your gender.