You know because .....you just KNOW as I am pretty sure they will tell you.
Guys just don't stick around for nothing, if they like you in that way.
And if you aren't interested you just don't give them the impression you like them,pretty simple.
Have to disagree here. I have the social IQ of a rock. There is no just knowing for me, sometimes there is endless speculation about what is going on, but I have the gift of thinking of every possible alternative no matter how improbable so there is never any certainty. A guy would pretty literally have to walk up to me and tell me he liked me because of the following character traits before I would believe he really liked me and wasn't just looking for any female companionship he could get. Sure guys stick around if they like you, but they also stick around if you make them laugh, have some activities you like to do in common, you make them feel listened to, or for a bit of emotional support with no intention of taking things to another level. That's practically what friendship is.
It's also not easy to avoid giving someone the impression that you like them and still be their friend. I remember one friend I got into the quagmire of I liked him (and even told him). He didn't feel the same way and we were still friends and I was quickly over it, but I definitely went through some moments of "how can you like me so much and not like me?". He still wanted to be around me and a few weeks later he said we needed to get together for dinner again (which was a normal thing for us). So he's still seeking out my company, but not because of romantic interest but just because I'm a good friend. (Insert all the second guessing most females do in such situation here).
On the opposite side, I had a friend who was struggling with a lot of stuff and one day he got drunk and told me over the phone that his life would be perfect if he could be married to me. A few days later I called to check on him and how he was doing (I was a long distance call so he couldn't call me). He was somewhat sober but was contemplating going out and getting drugs to spend the weekend high. So in that situation, how do you communicate that you care and are there for him as a friend without giving him false hope that you might be interested?
Situation 3, guy who is my neighbor is becoming a close friend of mine. We're leaving our houses at the same time and so chat on our way out. I offer to let him use something of mine so he no longer needs to run his errand. He asks what I'm up to and offers to give me a ride (at the time I did not have my own vehicle and was traveling by bus or foot). He spends the next hour and a half to two hours running my errands with me. Only reason this isn't a perfect budding romance type of story is that while we're running errands he just out of the blue tells me, "I picked up a prostitute last night, it was a weird experience." OK so is this guy interested or just super friendly and servant hearted?
All that to say if you have been blessed with a life where everything is simple and cut and dried, good for you, but for the rest of us life isn't that simple even if the guy is being upfront and has no major issues or hidden motives. That's why we have threads like these, because things get tricky and confusing.