Becoming Fluent in Flirt-ish

I don’t get hints. I respect boundaries. It’s taken years to find the confidence that others discovered much earlier on. Perhaps it’s how I was raised with respect toward women (they’re always right), a late start to dating, and a lifelong habit of overthinking. I want to dig into these ideas to better understand myself. I’m not sure about making changes, as my values around respect remain the same, but as I re-enter dating, it might be good to examine where respect ends and hesitation begins, as well as how these habits serve me. On first dates, I tend to hold back. I let the woman lead. Once I know there’s real interest, I’m more comfortable stepping forward—but in those early moments, I hesitate. Not out of fear of rejection, though that was once true—but because I don’t trust myself to read the signal right.

Subsribe to Second Pass for the full post!