When you're interacting with guys, whether it's one that you're dating, a friend, an acquaintance, or a total stranger, there are almost certainly things that they're going to do from time to time that you register as, well, a little bit creepy. Sometimes, those things that you think are creepy are actually creepy, but other times they might not be quite as creepy as you may have initially thought. There are many things guys do that you think are creepy, but are actually pretty normal. Sometimes, though, the context really matters. What they're doing might be something that you find creepy if you hardly know them or aren't romantically-linked, but wouldn't be nearly as creepy (or would even be totally normal) if the situation were different. This is subtle creepiness.
Not only that, but in some cases, you wouldn't find it creepy if a woman did these exact same things, whether you knew them well or not. Context — and societal influences — can make all the difference. Many women are taught from a young age to be warier of strange men than they are of strange women. That's definitely not to say that they should automatically get creeped out by men or shouldn't ever regard a woman as creepy, it's just that they've somehow been told, through words or actions, that there's the potential for greater risk. Many of these things aren't actually really that creepy, they just can occasionally seem to be. Follow your instinct, of course, but also don't get too worked up over these supposedly creepy things. They're actually pretty normal.
1
Asking You If You Need Help
When you're out and about and seem to have your hands full and someone asks you if you need help, it might come off as creepy. After all, you don't know them. But, really, they're just trying to be polite and helpful. You don't have to take them up on their offer, but it might not actually have been as creepy as you initially thought.
2
Telling You "You Have Beautiful Eyes"
If you really think about it, the ever-so-popular "beautiful eyes" compliment-slash-pickup-line can sometimes seem a little bit creepy. According to an article in the Phoenix New Times, however, telling you that you have beautiful eyes is simply a guy's way of attempting to tell you that you're attractive without outright complimenting your body or otherwise making you uncomfortable. If it's a sincere compliment, it's a nice and normal thing for someone to say to you and doesn't actually have to be construed as creepy.
3
Googling You Or Looking At Your Social Media Profiles Before A Date
Everyone is seemingly always connected, always within reach of a device with internet access. It's not that strange to look at someone's social media profile before a date, after all, nearly everyone has done it at one time or another. If all of a sudden he knows all kinds of things about you that he could obviously only know from searching your name on the internet, however, it can seem super creepy. Since you probably did the same thing, keep that in mind. It's probably not actually as creepy as it seems.
4
Remembering A Detail You Mentioned Awhile Back
When you mention something in passing and someone remembers it weeks or months (or even years) later, it can seem pretty creepy. But it's not always actually all that creepy. Maybe he was just listening to you when you said it and happens to have a good memory. Again, it's important to listen to your gut, but things aren't always as alarming as they might first appear.
5
Telling You To Smile
According to Bolde, telling women to smile is one of the creepy things guys need to stop doing. This one, I'd argue, mostly has to do with context. If a stranger tells you to smile out of the blue, that can definitely make you feel a little uneasy and, frankly, a little angry too. After all, you don't have to smile if you don't want to and it's not their job to tell you to do so. If someone you're dating tries to get you to smile, however, you might not think it's nearly as creepy.
6
Giving You Tons Of Compliments
Compliments are nice, right? Too many compliments, especially from someone you don't know all that well, however, can make you feel a little bit uneasy. While sincere compliments probably won't make you feel gross, an overabundance of them from a guy who seems to be trying way too hard can make you feel like something's not right. That being said, it's totally normal for a guy to give you compliments if you're together or he knows you and he means them.
7
Talking About Your Future "To Soon"
When you first start dating someone, you're probably not ready to immediately talk concretely about your future, so if a guy does, it might freak you out a little bit. Relationships move at different speeds, however, and having actual conversations about a potential future isn't a bad — or creepy — thing. You just have to make sure the context and the timing are right.
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