If you've ever found yourself wondering why those obnoxious teenagers at the mall can't seem to stop PDA-ing, it turns out they might actually really be in love! Go figure! It's not surprising that our bodies are intrinsically linked to our emotions, and body language clues that a couple is in love are generally pretty easy to spot. There's something heart warming about seeing a cute couple meandering through the park, laughing and gazing into each other's eyes, and being able to suss out if the connection between two people is real is a pretty practical skill.
Trust me, you don't want to go along with your best friend's shot-gun wedding, only to realize that her body language was practically screaming that love was the last thing in the air. I'm speaking from experience when I say this is a total drag. Right? Anyone? Anyone?
To give us the necessary tools to save our beloved friends and family from themselves, I spoke with body language expert Traci Brown, author of How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft: Field Guide. Turns out, couples in love aren't actually conscious of their physical interactions. It all comes very naturally.
"[Actually,] all are unconscious! That’s below the level they’re aware of," Brown tells Elite Daily. "So they don’t know they’re doing it, but it’s very revealing. Where the mind goes the body will follow."
"I look for how they’re moving together," says Brown. "Are they in step? Do they subtly match each other’s movements? These are good signs their energy is aligned and they’re on the same page."
We've all seen it: That couple in the bar that literally looks like they are one entity. Even when one of them leaves to go to the bathroom, it's almost like you can see an invisible thread connecting them to each other wherever they go.
Couples that move as a unit can't help but seem deeply connected —which as Brown points out, can be attributed to their complementary energy and all those lovey dovey feels.
"Look how close their hips are together," says Brown. "If they’re touching they’re a great couple."
This totally makes sense. After all, if you're in love, then chances are you have probably engaged in a ton of various activities involving, ahem, hip closeness. It's only natural that this pelvis-to-pelvis connection can be seen outside of the bedroom.
On the other hand, if a couple isn't in love, then it's likely there will be a noticeable disconnect between their hips.
"As distance grows emotionally, the distance in their hips will grow," explains Brown.
"Do they reach for each other and walk together side by side? These are great signs that they’re a unit," says Brown.
And even the scrooge inside of me thinks there's something maybe a tiny bit sweet about couples that do that whole, interlocking pinkie thing. But then again, don't their fingers cramp after like five minutes? I guess the world may never know.
"If you see one walk off on his own frequently, you know their mind isn’t on creating a team with the other," notes Brown. "We see this from Donald [Trump] with Melania all the time."
If you're wondering how to tell if a couple might not be feeling the feels, Brown says the opposite of the the behaviors mentioned above may spell trouble.
"Generally [being] out of sync, distance, and showing more independence are telling signs [someone's not] in love," says Brown.
So there you have it, folks. The next time your cousin brings home her new bae from college you'll be able to spot true love from a mile away.
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