Telling genuine interest from politeness is difficult because warm, friendly people can look interested even when they are simply being kind.

The key difference is the pattern over time: interested people follow through, initiate, and remember details, while polite people are friendly mainly in the moment.

Initiative is the clearest test. If you stopped arranging everything, would the other person keep the connection going on their own?

When in doubt, express your own interest clearly with a specific plan and watch the response. A concrete yes, or a genuine alternative, tells you more than any single gesture.