Women have always had the ability to squash a man. No matter how confident or cocky you may be, you've still got the potential to be dealt a cruel blow by a female — one that'll leave you with your tail between your legs.

I'm all for us guys taking a healthy dose of humility from time to time, however, the awkward "just friends" talk leaves you feeling a bit stupid and lacking in whatever department necessary to win the girl over.

Put simply, these humbling — and often patronising — talks are better off avoided. And the only way to dodge the bullet is to see the warning signs and cut your losses before you make a fool of yourself.

So how do you know she only wants to be friends? Here are some signs I've gathered over the years.

She's very comfortable around you
There's a fine line between comfortable and too comfortable. If a girl is comfortable around you it could be because you're laid-back, relaxed, not judgemental and she's just copying your body language — good signs by all means. However, if she's too comfortable she may see you as just a friend. After all, with friends we can be ourselves, say what we want and let loose without really worrying about repercussions.

Surely around an object of affection she's going to be slightly nervous while attempting to make the best impression. Look at it this way: are you completely at ease around a girl you're keen on? Do you watch what you say? Are you perhaps a little shier and more self-conscious than usual? Girls are no different.

She confides in you too much
Women are known for having their secrets. If anyone is going to know about them, it's her family or circle of close girlfriends. If you're a potential boyfriend, the last thing she's going to tell you about are her demons, ex-boyfriends or sexual escapades.

So if she confides in you off the bat with information that makes you squirm or she willingly unveils rough edges better left camouflaged, you can be sure she's not afraid of what she says around you. This isn't a good sign, not at first. It falls into the "too comfortable" zone mentioned above.

Of course, you shouldn't need any further convincing she just wants to be mates when she gushes about some guy she's keen on.

She keeps her distance physically
Perhaps it sounds a little primal, but if you're attracted to something you get close to it. Does this girl sit close to you? Does she ever brush your arm or lay a playful hand on you when you make a joke? These are positive signs.

Guys should also take notice of how girls position themselves, especially when sitting down. If her legs are pointing at you it's far more positive than them being directed away. Same deal if she leans in to talk with you. Close is good, it's that simple.

She doesn't go out of her way to see you
You can only ask someone out so many times before you realise they're not keen. If a girl likes you, you won't have to try very hard to arrange a meet up. Yes, people might play a little hard to get to avoid coming across too desperate, but even then they'll reschedule or make it up some other way.

I like to look at it like this: girls can like guys as much as we like them, so you shouldn't need to try too hard. If you really struggle to meet up with her then she probably isn't as keen on you as you are on her. Register your interest and let it all fall into place.

She doesn't compliment you on your look
The idea that girls don't care about looks is as clichéd as it is ridiculous. They do. They notice the big things (like baldness) and the small things (like the type of shoes you wear to the bit of grit under your nails) — they're just a little bit more reserved about acknowledging it.

So while you probably won't hear "gosh, you're hot!" come from a girl on a date, she may drop some more subtle compliments your way. Something positive directed at your taste in shirt or your warm smile generally won't come from someone who isn't interested. The one's than aren't keen will avoid the mild flirting and probably keep the conversation topic on themselves.

It can be a bit embarrassing having a girl you like tell you that she just wants to be friends. From a positive perspective she could just be unavailable at that moment, yet happy to keep you as a friend for an opening down the track.

Serious relationships sometimes do spawn from friendships, but while friends can become more, the "just friends" chat usually translates to "back off! I'm not interested in you". Men appreciate honesty, we just don't like feeling like idiots. Look for the signs so you can see where you stand and spare yourself from being told point blank.

How do you avoid the "just friends" chat? How do you tell where you stand? Have your say below.

Related: Go from best mate to bed mate
Related: Easy steps to read her body language

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