The world is full of…strange behavior. From hitting on people half your age to randomly touching strangers, here are some of the creepiest things men and women do, respectively.
1. Hitting on Staff
It doesn’t matter whether you’re at a restaurant or in line at the bank—don’t flirt with staff members. There’s a huge power imbalance, workers oftentimes need to remain “professional,” and it just makes people uncomfortable.
2. “Where’s My Hug?”
It’s not here, we’ll tell you that much. People organically hug those they’re close to and if you’re not on the list, you’re not on the list. Trying to coerce a hug from someone can make them feel pressured or uncomfortable, so don’t be that guy.
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3. Random Touching
There’s a time and a place for everything—flirtatious situations are one thing, but everyday scenarios don’t require contact. You can gently pass someone without touching their back. You don’t need to rub a woman’s shoulders. Hands to yourselves, fellas.
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4. Rejecting “No”
“No” is a full sentence. Whether you’re let down easily or flat-out told “no,” moving on is much better for everyone. Pushing the issue or trying to convince someone you deserve a chance only makes it worse.
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5. Telling Women to Smile
Even if it’s meant innocently, the suggestion is best avoided. “You should smile more” comes across like women are meant to appease strangers; there’s a notion that women need to make themselves approachable rather than being left alone.
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6. “Nice Guy” Behavior
The “nice” route works both ways, but “nice guys” are far more predominant. If a woman isn’t interested, that’s not an invite to send a two-page text or get angry—people are well within their rights to say “no” without ridicule.
7. Weird Pet Names
“Sweetheart” is only endearing from a grandparent, so don’t call someone “sweetie” or “honey.” The pet names are often demeaning and completely unnecessary, and women just don’t like it.
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8. Being Overly Jaded
Relationships and online dating are hard, we know. It’s perfectly normal to feel let down after so many failed first dates, but disappointment shouldn’t make you outwardly jaded. Rude, baseless comments about women put everyone off.
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9. Standing Too Close
We know COVID’s over, but let’s stick to the two-foot rule anyway. Crowding people in lines makes them uneasy—if you fear you’re standing too close, just take a step back.
10. Flirting With Younger Women
There’s literally no reason a 30-something-year-old should flirt with a teenager. Among other things, it’s completely inappropriate and you’re in totally different life stages, so stick to your own age group.
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With all this in mind, women are perfectly capable of creepy behavior, too…
1. Stalking
It’s pretty common to look up an ex on social media—what isn’t common, however, is learning about their new job, their latest beau, where their new partner works, who their new partner’s best friend is, etc. Stalking is a legitimate crime but even if you don’t physically tail them, learning all about their life is still incredibly odd, to put it mildly.
Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash
2. Unwanted Touching
Some people didn’t get the memo that unwanted touching is, you know, unwanted. Whether it’s touching someone at the bar or hitting on younger waitstaff, keep your hands to yourself. Women shouldn’t get a pass any more than men should.
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3. Getting Upset at Rejection
Men are allowed to say no, same as women. If they’re not in the mood, there’s no reason to get upset—or worse, insinuate sexual orientation. No one’s owed time in the bedroom, so respect everyone’s boundaries.
4. Being the “Gay Best Friend”
It should go without saying that true friendship is sacred, but some try to shoehorn their way into a “best friendship” with queer people—and it’s not a good look. The point of friendship is to find a real companion, not treat someone like an accessory.
Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash
5. Taking Belongings
Taking your partner’s hat in jest? No problem. Taking a stranger’s hat in jest? Problem. Though it seems cute on the surface, it’s weird to snatch belongings in an attempt to flirt. There’s nothing wrong with the art of conversation.
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6. Squeezing Muscles
It doesn’t matter who you are, unwarranted contact is creepy. You wouldn’t like it if someone randomly squeezed your muscles, so don’t do it to someone else. You can easily pay a spoken compliment without touching someone.
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7. Purposeful Miscommunication
There’s no reason to “test” your partner—proper communication is a two-way street, and withholding information so your partner “learns” about you isn’t healthy behavior. In fact, it’s a good way to ensure your partner is always anxious or second-guessing themselves.
8. Fake Pregnancies
Pulling the ol’ Kelly Kapoor is only funny in sitcoms. Real or fake, pregnancy won’t save a relationship, so avoid false announcements. Thankfully, this isn’t exactly common behavior, but it should still be avoided nonetheless.
Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash
9. Playing With Hair
Unless you got explicit consent, don’t play with someone’s hair. For some reason, people think it’s okay to caress a person’s locks…but we’re here to tell you it isn’t.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
10. “If Only I Was Younger…”
Suggesting that you’d date a younger man isn’t a compliment—if anything, it makes them uncomfortable. It’s okay to find a younger guy attractive, but there’s no call to openly hit on them with such an age gap.
