It was exciting at first.

You followed each other on Instagram, and it felt like there was promise.

When he liked the first Instagram story, you were elated.

Each consequent like on Instagram gave you that much more excitement and anticipation for what was to come.

As far as you were concerned, it would only be a matter of time before he sent you a DM.

Incredibly, it has now been a while and all he does is like your Instagram stories.

He hasn’t sent you a DM.

You have repeatedly checked your DMs like a lunatic each and every day, and nothing.

Yet, he is punctual and consistent in viewing your Instagram stories and liking them.

It’s driving you crazy.

Every time he likes a story you upload now, it’s grating.

You know that he won’t accompany the like via a DM.

All of this is so befuddling.

When you both followed each other on Instagram, the attraction seemed obvious.

The excitement was palpable, and there was so much promise.

That excitement has since transitioned into pure aggravation at his behavior.

Sadly, this isn’t unusual behavior when a guy isn’t all that interested in a woman.

He sees you as relatively attractive but believes there is better out there.

To this end, he doesn’t feel compelled to DM you.

That takes effort.

An effort that requires him to open conversation and keep it going.

Eventually, there will be an expectation that he ask you out on a date.

That’s too much, and he doesn’t deem you worthy of all that effort at this time.

Nevertheless, he doesn’t want to completely let you go as a potential future option for dating.

That is why he keeps liking your Instagram stories.

By liking them, he knows that he gets to stay on your radar.

He doesn’t want you to forget about him.

The idea is to keep you thinking of him as someone with romantic potential.

As long as he stays on your radar, he knows that he stays in your thoughts.

In the meantime, he is out there looking for a girl he prefers.

It could be a girl who looks better than you, has a better personality, etc.

Basically, he doesn’t see you as his first choice.

You are someone who is attractive enough for him to keep you in the loop, but not attractive enough for him to prioritize you.

It’s critical you don’t let the likes trick you into thinking there is romantic potential with this guy.

He is only liking your Instagram stories to keep you hopeful and emotionally hooked, while he is out there looking for someone better.

Waiting on him to DM you leads to a loss of dating opportunities with other men who are genuinely interested in you.

These are men who would prioritize you, unlike this guy.

A man who is genuinely interested in a woman prioritizes her by asking her out on dates.

Liking her Instagram stories and nothing else is a strong sign he is keeping you on the back burner.