Jealousy is a common feeling in most human connections, whether romantic or casual.
It manifests itself in men and women, especially those in relationships or married.
Jealousy is also a complex feeling, meaning that it can bring out different reactions in different individuals, where some may get angry, insecure, or even proud.
Guys are not immune to feeling jealous. If anything, it is a natural trait for men to protect their women, and jealousy brings out their territorial tendencies.
Not only guys in relationships but even a male colleague or friend can become jealous if they notice other guys checking you out.
In most cases, the man may not want you to see his jealousy, but guys are not very good at hiding their emotions.
To him, other guys checking you out mostly means they find you attractive and lovable, and feeling jealous is the assurance you need to know that he loves and cares about you.
Besides love, there could be other reasons why your guy feels jealous when other guys face your direction.
This post will help you decipher such situations, why men feel jealous, how they react, and how to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy jealousy.
Why Do Guys Feel Jealous When Other Guys Look at You?
Every woman would like to know what goes around their male partner’s or friend’s mind when fellow men ogle or look at her.
Below are the most potential reasons that explain the jealousy:
1. It is Natural
Jealousy comes naturally, and your guy feeling gutted about the attention you are getting from other men is beyond his control.
Humans naturally feel a tinge or wave of jealousy whenever another party shows interest in those we hold dear because of the fear of losing them.
If your guy is deeply in love with you, he will feel jealous if another guy lays their eyes on you.
2. He Fears Competition
A guy friend or lover may feel jealousy because he fears the guy checking you out could replace him or ouster him out of his position in your life.
He is afraid that you may develop an interest in the guy looking at you and eventually kick him out of your life to accommodate the other guy.
3. He is Protective
Guys know well that some of their counterparts do not have the best intentions when they check out a lady.
Your guy showing jealousy could, therefore, be a move to protect you from harm’s way because he understands women’s vulnerability when in the company of strange men.
4. He Has a Crush on You
A guy who you identify as a friend or colleague may exhibit jealousy because he has feelings for you he hasn’t spoken to you about yet.
Deep down, he knows his chances of winning your heart get slimmer after other guys start checking you out.
You may not be aware of his feelings until he confesses them, but his jealousness can give you a hint.
5. He is Controlling and Possessive
While it feels great to have a man in control in a relationship, there is a level of possessiveness that should worry you.
A guy may feel jealous because you belong together, but it should not be to the extent of him feeling like he owns you.
A guy that genuinely loves or cares about you will not seek to possess or own you but will trust you to carry yourself with dignity when other men look at you.
6. He Has Low Self-Esteem
Guys with low self-esteem always get triggered by anything threatening their love life or friendship with the female gender.
He will feel jealous because he doesn’t believe he is worthy of your love and that you can easily replace him.
Guys with low self-esteem are constantly worried that you may find someone better than them because they do not believe they are any better.
It can be exhausting because you will constantly have arguments whenever a guy checks you out.
How to Know That Your Guy Is Jealous
As mentioned earlier, some guys may successfully hide their jealousy from their women lovers or friends while others may not manage.
Below are some of the reactions that guys with jealousy showcase:
I. He Becomes Aggressive
Your guy may pick a fight with you or the guy checking you out.
He may pick a fight with you if he feels that you enjoyed the attention you were getting or accuse you of being an attention seeker.
Your guy may fight the guy checking you out for admiring his woman.
Whichever way, him picking a verbal or physical fight over a guy checking you out should not sit well with you.
Why? You cannot control how other guys should behave towards you and he should be man enough to understand that.
II. He May Get Aroused
Believe it or not, your guy’s reaction toward jealousness could be sexual arousal.
He notices another guy checking you out while at a party and all of a sudden, he becomes touchy with you or serenades you on the dancing floor.
Do not be surprised if he initiates a quick intimate bathroom visit or a moment in your car’s backseat.
III. Silent Treatment
Some men, especially those with low self-esteem, have a hard time communicating their feelings.
Your guy may, therefore, stay silent on you due to depression because they are not courageous enough to address their jealous emotions.
IV. He Becomes More Affectionate
Some guys learn to appreciate the women in their lives after learning that they are not the only ones interested in them.
A guy may become more affectionate after another guy looks your way in a bid to prove his love to you so that you don’t find a reason to leave him.
He understands that he has to do better for him to solidify his position in his life.
Differentiating Healthy and Unhealthy Jealousy
It is critical to know how to interpret your guy’s jealousy.
So, how do you differentiate between healthy and unhealthy jealousy?
When a guy is experiencing healthy jealousy, he will not be consumed by it, but rather allow it to pass naturally.
He may talk to you about it to assure you that he trusts you and is committed to you.
Healthy jealousy also manifests itself when the guy decides to work on their insecurities or low self-esteem to avoid being carried away by jealous emotions whenever another man checks him out.
Unhealthy jealousy, on the other hand, is a red flag that you should not ignore in a relationship or friendship.
In this case, the guy exhibits possessiveness, talking about no one else has a right to lay their eyes on you because you belong to him.
He will even blame you for being checked out by other guys by, for example, criticizing the way you have dressed which is outright emotional blackmail.
Another sign of unhealthy jealousy is the guy monitoring all your movements to the extent of limiting your interactions and dictating where you should or should not hang out.
More importantly, a guy with unhealthy jealousy may become verbally or physically aggressive.
Also Read: Do Guys Get Jealous When You Move On?
