It happens all the time. A woman smiles at a man and suddenly he thinks she's totally into him. After all, why else would she smile at him unless she was feeling some sort of attraction? A smile can mean a lot of things, so what does it mean when a girl smiles at you?
Let's be real here for a second -- just because a woman smiles at you, doesn't mean she's necessarily feeling an attraction. It’s hard enough figuring out where women hang out and actually trying to grab their attention. Interpreting a smile can be downright arduous for some guys.
What does it mean when a girl smiles at you?
The thing about a woman’s smile is it can be interpreted in a number of ways. Knowing how to read a girl's body language and other factors can help you to interpret whether or not a smile is a genuine show of affection or just someone being friendly. Either way, there are a number of ways to capitalize on the situation when a girl smiles at you, whether she's interested romantically or not.
Keep in mind age can often play a role in how you can interpret a smile. For example, younger women may not be aware of the impact their smile can have on a man.
On the other hand, older women tend to be more cautious because they're more aware and understand the consequences of their smile. Thus, you'll often find older women do not give away their smiles as freely as younger women.
Now, let’s try to answer the question: What does it mean when a girl smiles at you?
What to do when a girl smiles at you
Let's say you're passing a lovely older woman in a hallway at work. You happen to glance her way, and your eyes connect for the briefest of moments. This girl smiles at you and carries on with her business. What should you do?
Your first reaction should be the most natural and obvious reflex -- smile back. It shows you're friendly and open to conversation. You want her to think: "Who is this guy? He seems pretty friendly."
What you shouldn’t do is assume that your coworker is automatically attracted to you. Countless men deal with this issue. A woman smiles at them and suddenly he's thinking of a thousand and one scenarios where they're dating, having sex and possibly even getting married! This can all occur within the span of a few seconds.
Slow down. Don't think. Just act.
Your first reaction should be to smile back. The second and more important reaction is to take action. Say hello!
Don't let her pass you by because you were too frozen with indecision to do anything. Don't get stuck in your head thinking, "If a girl smiles at you, does she like you? Does she want you to come over? Is she smiling at you or the guy behind you? Is it creepy to say hi?"
What's the worst that can happen? She doesn't say hello back? That's plain rude! If she was willing to smile at you, so a greeting isn't too far off, right?
Some dating gurus out there claim you should just ask her out right then and there, but that action may be a bit too abrupt. Simply say hello. If you're both in a hurry to get somewhere, like the above workplace scenario or perhaps in a classroom environment, find her during your lunch break and strike up a conversation. You've already broken the ice by smiling back at her.
The situation and the environment matters
What does it mean when a girl smiles at you in one environment vs another? The context of the situation and the environment play a major role in how you should react. For example, a woman smiling at you in a church should not be interpreted the same as a woman smiling at you in a club. As you can see, these are two completely different environments with completely different rules. Let's look at two separate scenarios.
Let's say you're in a club. You're throwing back a few shots minding your own business when you catch the eye of a hot cougar at the end of the bar. She smiles at you. You go, "well she smiled at me, so is that an invitation?"
In that situation, you should definitely make a move. Mozy on over to the other side of the bar and strike up a conversation. You're in an environment where it's expected that single men and women hook up and have fun. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that if she's smiling at you in that environment, she's likely attracted to you sexually.
However, there's also a possibility that a girl smiled at you because she was just being friendly. She might not be interested romantically/sexually. That's why you should never make assumptions. Go in with no expectations, and you won't be disappointed if you're shot down. Don't overthink the consequences. Just go for the kill.
Remember -- action trumps inaction every time
Now let's jump into a classroom environment. You notice a woman sitting somewhere where and she looks at you. You happen to catch each other's eye a few times. Finally, after your fourth pass or so she smiles at you. I bet your heart would start hammering away because she's totally into you, right? Most men would automatically assume he's already in the front door.
However, you're no longer in a place where it's necessarily expected for singles to hook up. You're in a learning environment. In that environment, it’s expected for students to show common courtesy towards each other. Thus, her smile may have been a reflection of her good manners. At that same time, she might have smiled because she's actually interested in you.
Sucks, doesn't it? It can be very difficult to ascertain the true meaning behind a girl's smile. I bet if you approached her after class and struck up a conversation, you'll learn pretty quickly whether or not she's actually interested in you.
Otherwise, you'll be left running all kinds of crazy scenarios in your head, and you'll never actually know whether or not she likes you.
Honestly, whether they're older or younger, most women won't make a romantic pass at a man. It doesn't even matter if they're madly in love with you. Most women sit around and wait for the man to make the first move.
If you, the man, don't make that move, there’s a very good chance nothing will happen. At the end of the day, you'll both go home wishing you had made a move.
Confidence is and will always be the key
There's no way of ever truly knowing the meaning behind eye contact and her smile. There are simply too many variables involved. Women can be cryptic creatures, so it's your responsibility to make something happen.
Let's say that her smile was just friendly. You can use her smile as a way of striking up a conversation. Now you can make her interested in you by showcasing that winning personality of yours.
The true secret of capitalizing on a woman's smile is to use that smile as an excuse to take action. So stop sitting there trying to decipher what her smile meant. Just go for it. Because if you're not willing to make that move, a more confident man will swoop in and steal her right out from under you and you'll always wonder "what if."
Hopefully, you should now have an understanding of what does it mean when a girl smiles at you. Don't live with regrets. You should cultivate your confidence and make sure her decision to smile at you will be the best decision she's ever made.