Everyone you will ever date will come with their emotional baggage. Whether you and your man are only just starting t get to know each other or you’ve known one another for a long time now, your significant other will always expect certain things of you. It’s in our human nature to expect. These expectations will fluctuate with time, out of all the things he wants from you, some will change like the weather, and some will remain constant. Some expectations, he will openly talk about with you.

But there are always those expectations that he will refrain from mentioning to you. He will keep it to himself and will want you to figure out what those specific expectations are in his silence. If you’re treading carefully, if you’re observant and sensitive towards him, you can quickly tell what the things he expects from you, despite him not telling you.

What’s pretty crazy is that even though your man will try and be as macho as possible about this by hiding it, but the fact of the matter is he definitely does harbor a wild set of expectations. You may be under the impression that you know the man you’re in a relationship with inside out, there’s nothing about his personality that you have failed to figure out but, I’d say you think again. Chances of him keeping some things about himself run very high. It’s very predictable in a relationship to expect something out of your partner and then not tell them about, instead, expect them just to know and make you proud anyway.

It may seem really twisted but figuring out what your man expects from you is really not that difficult. However, if you feel like it’s a code you’ll never be able to crack on you then keep reading. Here are some of the most common expectations a man has and chooses to keep it a secret:

1. He wants you to be possessive, but not too much

You thought choosing between a bright and a nude lipstick was confusing? You thought not being able to decide which dress to wear was really hard? You probably haven’t met a man who’s serious about you. He will love you, he will want to be with you in the long run, and he will want you to be jealous of his female friends. But it’s not so simple. He wants you to be a particular level of jealous. Not too much, not too little, just the right amount. That sure does sound like a mystery, but you will quickly realize precisely how much is enough

2. He expects you always to support him

You know what’s the one thing he expects of you more than anything else? To always, ALWAYS be his unwavering support system. He wants you never to stop having his back, covering his six. It matters the most to him. He wants you to cheer him on at all time; when has a plan that he’s following, when he’s still making plans and when he has no plans at all. If he’s working towards a goal, you need to understand that and support him. If he has nothing at all in mind for some time, you need to understand and support him. If his plans and goals change like moods, you need to get that too and still cheer him on.

3. He wants you to know exactly what he wants and when

Men are really crazy like that. They have this expectation that you need to know what he wants and when he wants it. You need to be able to read his mind like an open book. You should always say something along the lines of “I know you.” If he’s back from work or elsewhere, you need to know if he’s in need of cuddles and Netflix or dinner with a quiet night of personal space and sleep. You’ve got to be that kind of a wizard for your man. I know, it’s a bit too much, but that is the kind of expectations your man is keeping a secret from you. It’s okay, you don’t have to make it all happen. You don’t have to act like you’re a psychic. Some days you will make it through, but some days you don’t know hat he wants, and that’s as okay as anything else

4. He’s quiet and distant sometimes, and you should be okay with it

This sounds unfair because it IS unfair but knows this: men will almost always retreat into their shells every so often. There will be a lack of communication and distance coming from their side. That is precisely what men will expect you to understand and be chill about. They will expect you not to ask questions about their lack of communication. Ladies, go ahead and tell your man that’s pretty impossible to do.