Are you dating a boy or man? 6 ways to tell the difference

It is pretty easy to recognise a stark difference between dating a man or a boy. When a boy tells you he loves you, it is mostly just words.

But when a man tells you that, he will prove it with his actions. Men are much more mature than boys when it comes to love and relationships.

Their actions, words and feelings are much deeper and they are much more likely to commit to you, in comparison to boys.

The latter is just experiencing love at its early stages. Here are some differences that you can spot when dating a man versus when dating a boy.

A boy may act possessive and jealous in an unhealthy way every time he sees you with someone. But a man will immediately bring out his protective instincts and focus on protecting you if something ever happens. He won’t feel possessive because he knows you are his.

A boy may feel threatened by your success and achievements. He may try to downgrade you by belittling you in subtle ways. However, a man will never do that. He will encourage you to reach greater heights and go after success with all your might.

A boy may underestimate you and lead you to think that you are not really capable of doing things. A man will present you with challenges, not to underestimate you but to encourage you to fight and win challenges. He will believe in you enough to motivate you to win.

A boy may look for excuses here and there to cover up his mistakes and guilt. But a man will own up to his faults and will also not try to shy away from apologising for his mistakes. He will try every possible way to fix his mistakes.

A boy may only want to spend time with your close ones if he likes them. He may try to avoid them if he’s not into them. But a man will spend time with your friends and family, regardless of whether he likes them or not. He will do this only because he knows how important they are to you.

A boy may want you in his life so that his ego can feel prioritised and boosted. A man will prioritise you and will need you in his life because he knows you will nourish and make him a better person. He will be ready to commit to you without any hesitation.

These stark differences that mostly include maturity, selflessness and commitment come with age and experience. And this is what differentiates a man from a boy.