4 ms·

As a guy, I'm super self-conscious about trying not to come off as creepy to women around me. In the past year, I've tried to be better about giving compliments

As a guy, I'm super self-conscious about trying not to come off as creepy to women around me. In the past year, I've tried to be better about giving compliments to my friends, but I found myself complimenting my male friends much more than my female friends. One day I asked a female friend about how to be less creepy when giving compliments, and she gave me the following advice: "Don't compliment her on her body, because that comes off as creepy. Instead, compliment her on something she's wearing and probably put a lot of thought into. Something she might be proud of. This would be like her outfit or her make-up. The more detail in your compliment, the better."

switchbak 5y ago
With the recent changes in social norms, I'm just not sure where the line of appropriateness is anymore. Unfortunately I think a lot of people are just going to avoid giving genuine/non-creepy compliments to the opposite gender because of that, which is a shame. Thank god I'm not dating any more!
- nicbou 5y ago
  When I was in Morocco, people started talking to me, and when I responded with customary friendliness, they tried to sell me something. It didn't take me long to perceive their friendliness as the disguised first line of a sales pitch. After a while I became a lot less keen to talk to friendly strangers. I wouldn't blame the "change in social norms", but the people who poisoned the well by using compliments as a foot in the door.