6 subtle signs a man will be incredibly loyal to you, according to psychology

In all my years on planet earth, I’ve found that Jim from The Office is pretty much the benchmark for loyalty and faithfulness when it comes to men.

Fom the get-go, he’s there for Pam, actively supporting her—whether it’s through her art school dreams or just being her sturdy foundation when things get tough. 

And let’s not forget the big moments, like their back-up wedding on the boat at Niagara Falls! Talk about swoon.

Of course, his loyalty is shown in all the little things too, like his everyday kindness and his willingness to put Pam and their family first, even if it means sacrificing his own career. 

Jim’s love for Pam shines through in everything he does, showing us all what true loyalty and commitment look like in a relationship. 

Pretty sweet, right? But let’s turn the spotlight on you for a hot minute.

What does loyalty mean to you in your relationships? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you weren’t sure about how your man regarded loyalty and what it meant to you?

If you’re trying to make sure whether you’ve found a real one, here are six signs of a super loyal man. 

1) He has a clear idea of what loyalty means

If you’ve ever spoken to your special guy about what loyalty really means to the both of you, you’ll know it’s no casual chat.

When you’re on the topic, pay close attention to how he feels about the matter: does he dodge and weave around the subject, or does he confidently lay down what cheating means to him? 

If he’s crystal clear, then that’s a subtle yet strong sign he’ll be incredibly loyal in the long run.

But why is this such a huge deal in the scheme of your relationship? Well, because the psychology backs it up.

A 2023 study on the definition of disloyalty found that men tended told hold vastly different ideas of what cheating actually was—interesting, huh?

These ranged from not classifying “having an intimate emotional phone conversation with someone other than your partner” to “masturbating while in computer contact with someone other than your partner” as not cheating in a technical sense.

So, we can safely say that agreeing on a clear definition of cheating can keep you out of loads of future drama!

This level of discussion will set boundaries, no-go zones, and keeps you from stumbling into potentially murky territory.

2) He hasn’t cheated in the past

I sure hate hearing those cheating horror stories. The stray texts found on the family iPad. The awkward run-ins in town.

Life is stressful enough—who needs affairs lurking beneath the surface?

Which is why you want to make extra sure your guy is someone you can place your trust in.

And one surefire yet subtle way of doing that is determining his track record. Yep, it’s time to enter into detective mode.

A 2017 study in the Evolutionary Psychology journal concluded that “those who had a history of cheating as more likely to cheat.”

So, that makes the men who have never cheated in the past to be as good as gold. 

This guy is trustworthy. He’s got integrity, he’s got morals, and of course, he’s got a damn good sense of loyalty.

To me, cheating is the ultimate litmus test for character. 

It’s easy to be faithful when everything’s going swell, but when temptation comes around the corner, that’s when the real work begins.

Loyalty is not just about resisting temptation in the heat of the moment, rather, it’s about making a conscious decision every single day to honor the commitment you’ve made to your SO.

It’s about choosing trust over lust (the perfect catchphrase)—time and time again.

And a man who’s proven that he’s capable of making those choices in the past is likely to continue making them in the future.

3) He trusts you completely

It’s 4am and you’ve just breezed in through the front door.

You’re about five espresso martinis and one kebab deep. Plus your feet are in a world of pain—but it’s all good, because you’ve had one hell of a girls’ night on the town!

Then you spot your man, fast asleep on the sofa wearing his comfies. He stirs a little and notices you enter the living room. “It’s late,” he says.

And that’s it. The two of you go off to bed and have a nice Sunday sleep-in. You make him pancakes and you head to the market.

If that’s where the chat ended in the wee hours of the morning, I’m delighted to inform you that it looks like you’ve got yourself a winner!

Notice how your fella isn’t interrogating you about why you got in so darn late?

This is because he holds deep levels of trust in you. He knows you were where you said you were: on a girls night.

In an article on unfaithfulness, Kaytee Gillis, psychotherapist and author, includes this accusatory behavior as being indicative of cheaters.

Gillis said: “One of the traits of narcissists is that they often project their negative traits onto their partner: If they are unfaithful, they will claim that you are cheating on them.”

When a man actively places his trust in you, it’s a sign of his belief in your relationship and commitment. 

He doesn’t need to snoop through your WhatsApp messages or grill you about constantly checking your location when you’re out.

He knows you’re in this little thing called life together—and that your bond can handle the occasional night out or even separate vacations away.

4) He practices open and honest communication, refraining from mindgames

According to Gillis, gaslighting was another tell-tale sign of a man who wasn’t likely to be loyal.

She said: “They will tell you you’re crazy, making things up, or must be mistaken. This will often leave victims second-guessing themselves and wondering if they really are crazy.”

Gaslighting, for those blessed to have never encountered it, is a heady mix of manipulation and mind games, designed to make you doubt your own mind.

In other words, it’s the ultimate betrayal of trust.

Behold, the tell-tale sign of a dude who will be loyal to you for life: he practices open and honest communication with you (and also, with others in his life).

He’s not comfortable with even telling little white lies or making casual omissions.

Yep—no mind games, just good old-fashioned candor.

So, if your guy is one who will nurture your connection with honesty, you can be pretty certain that he’ll be loyal for life—and that’s a beautiful thing.

5) He doesn’t ever act on his attractions to other women

There needs to be a strong reason for a man to resist the temptation of other women. 

It’s got to go beyond just simple self-control—it’s got to be a respect for the commitment he’s made to you.

But let’s be real. It’s not about ignoring attraction, rather, it’s about how one acts on it. Because at the the end of the day, we’re all wired to look at shiny things.

Choosing honesty and commitment over indulgence strengthens everything.

Research on monogamy in The Archives of Sexual Behavior “may indicate that individuals who are highly committed to their relationships do not expect to experience extradyadic attraction.”

(FYI: “extradyadic” is basically a special term for anything in regards to infidelity outside of the relationship.)

This means that when a man refrains from acting on any attractions that take place outside of your relationship, it’s an incredible marker of his loyalty.

It shows he values your partnership above any kind of passing, fleeting pleasure, showing true integrity and trustworthiness.

6) He openly has a bad opinion of cheating

It might well sound like an obvious one, but when a man openly denounces cheating, they’re essentially vocalizing that loyalty is paramount to them.

It’s not just lip service… it’s like a peek into his soul, not just with his words but in how he lives his life and treats you. 

And trust me—you can take that as a nice hint of long-term potential.

A study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that a man’s open “disapproval of infidelity” signified a much higher chance of loyalty.

That means if he casually chats about cheating, or even writes it off as being a part of life, it’s probably not something you want to overlook too quickly.

Bottom line? A guy’s stance on cheating, whether overt or covert, tells you a lot about what he values and how he rolls in relationships.

It’s a reminder to find a man who’s on the same page as you about loyalty and trust—especially if you’re aiming for something real and lasting.