I never figured this out at all. I'm terrible at telling if/when people like me as a person and want to spend time around me. It's led me to make some mistakes and be taken advantage of at times. It's also led to some emotional pain. So, how do people here figure this out at various levels of friendship? How do you determine if somebody is simply tolerating your presence/attendance at social events rather than being genuinely interested in spending time with you?