When you’re spending time with a guy or a group of friends, your male friend could “out of the blues” just take your stuff.
This could be to get your attention or involve you in the activities that are going on.
First off, take note of the relationship that exists between the both of you.
Did it happen during play time, when you guys were alone? or is it something he was compelled to do?
When you answer these important questions, you can ideally come with a good reason why he playfully took your stuff.
Sometimes it could be done to get you active, if you are the type who is socially awkward. Other times it could be that curiosity just got the best of him and it means nothing.
Whatever the case may be, we have mentioned 6 possible meanings why a guy will playfully take your stuff.
Keep reading below!
6 Possible Meanings When A Guy Playfully Takes Your Stuff
1. He Wants To Play With You
Yes, he wants to play with you. As adults today the idea of being playful may be strange but it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
There Is no official law that prohibits adults from having fun when they want to. And him taking your stuff is just part of the play process.
He is doing this to get you to laugh, smile or forget about something that’s bothering you.
When he has taken your stuff, he has done so to keep things light and friendly between the two of you.
If you give in to it, you will see yourself involved in the play and laughing at the fun nature of it.
Taking the context and relationship between the both of you, especially if he is your friend.
You conclude he is being playful and doesn’t mean it disrespectfully.
Analyze these concepts before launching into a defensive mood or getting angry.
If it’s a play, you are not familiar with you can ask for the rules and enjoy along with the rest of them.
2. He Wants To Get Your Attention
What better way to get your attention than to take your stuff playfully?
This way is guaranteed to get you to look or talk to them. More often than not, this Is the most possible reason why a guy will playfully take your stuff.
We all know how personal our stuff can be to us and when we have it taken, we immediately go seeking it.
He wants your attention focused on him because he is interested in you and wants you to be his friend.
This way you are forced to relate playfully with him. He wants to be intimate with you and doesn’t know how.
By playing with you, he will slowly let you see him for who he is.
Play between two people can deepen the bonds and elevate the mutual feelings you share.
Taking your stuff playfully is a way to start a relationship by getting your attention.
Once your attention has been trained on him, he will be happy because his aim of spending more time with you is accomplished.
Don’t take it too seriously when this happens. It’s often because he has a crush on you and this is chiefly responsible for the situation.
3. He Wants To Know Your Boundaries
A possible reason a guy will playfully take your stuff Is that he wants to test your boundaries.
This is the case when he is not your friend or not close enough to you.
Work acquaintances or estranged friends can find it awkward to understand the level of boundaries of another person.
By testing your boundaries, he will judge your reaction to your stuff being taken.
How you react will give him an informed analysis of how to proceed with becoming friends with you.
Personal stuff is personal for a reason, and no one enjoys another person toiling with their possession.
So, if a guy is doing this, chances are he is trying to see how far you will go before exploding in anger. He simply is waiting to see how far over the edge you will go.
This is common when you have someone in your workspace, peer group, etc. who doesn’t know your boundaries.
Here, they want to push your buttons and see what gets you triggered. If you take a close inspection of the context and relationship with him. You can easily spot if this is the case.
4. He Is A Bully
Another possible reason a guy playfully takes your stuff is that he wants to make fun of you. This means he is a bully and wants to employ these tactics to dominate you.
Circumstances like this should appear as a serious red flag to you. Here he is showing you he has the power to mess with your emotions and have you looking for your stuff frantically.
You don’t find your friends treating you. Those who bully find a way to.
If a guy behaves this way towards you, even when you have clearly shown you are not interested in such a play.
He is not and should not be a friend to you. This is an indicator that he has violent or abusive tendencies.
When this happens to you, firmly state your boundaries so that he will not make the same mistake in the future. Keep bullies away by being firm.
This way no one will try to dominate you. This said it is important to know who we let close to our properties and even our personal space.
5. It Is His Love Language
This point may sound sheepish but this happens more often than you realize.
Some guys have had a serious crush on you for ages and find it difficult to let you in on how they feel.
By taking your stuff playfully he is hoping you will get the message that he is crushing on you.
Playing with you and taking your stuff, is a way to show affection towards you.
He is doing this because he Is fond of you and this is how he expresses it.
Playing with you give him more excuse to spend more valuable time with you.
When doing this with you, notice how gentle and intentional he is.
He is usually respectful and shows another form of romantic interest in you once he has your attention. He will physically compliment or touch you gently to show he cares about you.
Know that taking your stuff is never the end game, rather it’s the first step on the journey to your heart.
Watch how frequently he does this and the context of the situation.
This should give you a clear insight into his intentions. With this knowledge you will know how to respond to his advances, halting or giving in if you so desire.
6. He’s Attempting To Make A Joke
When a guy playfully takes your stuff, it is an sign that he is just being funny. He is funny and wants to bring you in on the joke.
This happens if he wants to get things interesting and watching you guess or look for your stuff is the joke.
This is his attempt to make light of a grim situation or get everyone to liven up. So, in this case, the jokes are on you.
Once you notice there is no malice involved, you can relax and enjoy the moment because he doesn’t mean much by it.
Some guys are comedians and never miss out on an opportunity to make a good joke.
If the joke doesn’t appeal to you or crosses your boundaries.
It’s important to stop it right there. What one may find hilarious may not be to another person and this should be respected among friends.
Pay close attention and notice the extent to which you can accommodate such funny actions.
However, it’s good to note that a good joke or funny moment usually breaks the ice easily and gets people to loosen up.
What To Do When A Guy Playfully Takes Your Stuff
There are a couple of things to do when a guy playfully takes your stuff.
Whatever you do, it is important to put your interest first and not allow it to go out of proportion.
Here are 4 things you can do when this happens to you.
Set Clear Boundaries
When a guy playfully takes your stuff and you are not happy with the situation it’s important to set clear boundaries there.
Behavior from other people you find uncomfortable should be communicated to the other party. Let him know what kind of behavior you are okay with and those you will not accept.
You also have to be firm when instilling this so it doesn’t occur the second time.
Reciprocate Playfully
You may go out and play, have a good laugh, and also hang out with your loved ones. If you are feeling up to it and want to have some fun, you can get in on the fun.
Returning the same energy to him will start a round of fun and the lively moment all around and you will be happy you did. There are no strict ways to have fun or play, as long as it is safe.
Ask Him Why And Watch His Reaction
Sometimes you might not understand the intentions when someone plays with you by taking your stuff.
Not everyone is wired that way. What you can do is communicate with them, especially if you are unsure about their motive.
It is confusing to try to judge another person’s actions, by having a conversation about it you can be made to understand better.
This is essential because it helps to remove misunderstandings between people.
Watching their reaction tells you a lot about their intentions, you know if they are playing or holding malicious motives.
Follow Your Instinct
A guy playfully taking your stuff may come as a pleasant surprise to you or even a shock.
This is okay especially if you weren’t expecting it. The correct course of action is to trust your instinct to act the right way. Often, how you respond to such play is the truth about how you feel about it.
If you find yourself playing along, then it means you are okay with him.
If you find yourself apprehensive about the situation, it means that your boundaries have been crossed.
Following your instinct will only let the right people touch or play with you. It is okay to not allow everyone into your personal space.
Conclusion
Personal items are personal for a reason and people who may touch them are mostly close friends and family.
If a guy playfully takes your stuff and you feel like a boundary of yours has been crossed, then you need to pass this feeling to them.
Let them know that such behavior makes you uncomfortable and you would like to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
People initiate play when they want to get to know you and are attracted to you, and for entertainment purposes too.
The trick is to use your intuition to judge the situation carefully and study the context it happened and the relationship between both of you.
This should tell you why they have chosen to play with you while giving you time to decide on what to do.
It’s good to note that there is no bad way of reacting to this, only follow your instinct.
You can tell him the kind of fun things you love to do and how you enjoyed being played with. This way no one is being coerced into anything or boundaries crossed.