When Men Mistake Friendliness for Flirting
A dilemma many women have faced over and over again…
For a long time, friendliness warranted no challenge for me and when meeting new people, a smile was always plastered on my face. I did this to everybody. Boys and girls. Adults and elderly.
I remained that way until accidental eavesdropping shattered my naivety. At sixteen, I overheard two classmates complaining about a certain girl who always acted like she was attracted to both of them while in a relationship.
“Man, she’s such a tease. Always saying hi, being all nice and shit even though she has a boyfriend.”
I heard my name. They were talking about me. My breath hitched and I felt light-headed over the realization that my welcoming demeanor was really a major taboo.
From then onwards, I would hesitate over innocent facial expressions or body movements that could be mistaken for flirting.
“Don’t smile or talk too much,” I’d tell myself. “He might think I’m flirting.”
Looking back, I pity myself. Simple kindness should’ve never left me profoundly guilty for unintentionally fooling two boys into thinking I was romantically interested.
