I would argue that instinctual aggression has much more potential to be destructive than instinctual politeness, and that thusly there is a higher imperative to attempt to go against it.

I understand the difficulty and the double-bind that women are put in regarding dating. What you are saying is extremely valid. For myself, I don't want to date anyone who would consider me a slut or "psycho" for expressing interest, but, then again, I have spent most of the last several years completely single. Most…

I think I'm the odd one here for my approach. I understand single mode, but I can be a bit averse to dating a lot of the time and have to be extraordinarily intrigued before I can consider getting romantically involved with anyone these days. I wouldn't encourage anyone who doesn't want to stay single for vastly long…

I've dated a few people I've been friends with. Sometimes an attraction wasn't especially there at the beginning and develops, but mostly it was there at the beginning but the timing wasn't quite right for a relationship at first but at some time that changed. I don't know that you can be a great friend to someone if…

Gotcha. I don't know if there is a difference by gender in picking up social cues, but I wouldn't be surprised if you are right. I agree it is unfortunate when we cannot figure out these things intuitively and have to drag it out in the open instead of subtly shifting the focus of the friendship. However, it's ok that…

Yeah, but you're asking women to lie to you in saying you would rather them say they had a boyfriend. How about you just not take it personally when someone says they aren't interested? A rejection doesn't necessarily mean the other person thinks you're unappealing. I mean, sometimes I can tell after a very short…

"Saying all that, I'm just as guilty as the rest of my gender (at times). I figure it must be biological, or some sort of cultural thing were it's expected that males have to 'convince' women to be interested"

Dude, the best advice I can give you is to assume that no means no in all situations. It doesn't mattter if it is said hesitantly, politely, rudely, gently, whatever. Seriously, in almost all situations no actually means no, and if in one case no doesn't mean no and you've incorrectly assumed it did, well, consider…

The problem is that some guys don't care if you have a boyfriend and won't stop there. I used to wear a fake wedding ring, but ultimately gave it up because then I was just being hit on by the ultra sleazy dudes.

"No thanks" leaves room for negotiation. I think it's good for a start because it's not as abrupt, but if they dont get the message after that, it's time to follow with "I'm not interested".

Women are socialized very early on to go out of our way and sacrifice our own comfort be nice, polite, and accommodating in all situations.

At that point it's really disrespectful and violating your boundaries. I can understand wanting to know because I've asked when I've been dumped or rejected at times, but I understand that it is a favor and there is no obligation. When someone feels entitled to an explanation at the expense of my well-being, it lets…

I don't think an explanation is necessary, but I think it is fair to tell the person if you're not feeling it. I think it's more confusing and hurtful if someone you're dating just vanishes and ignores you (and it does take a bit of time for the other person to figure out that's what is happening) than to just say…

Yeah, I didn't ask anyone, much less everyone, to label stories. At all. Additionally, you totally missed my point. I didn't watch the videos, and I wasn't personally triggered, and I didn't see that anyone was asking for a warning custom-tailored to their impossibly unique specific set of issues. As an internet space…

The headline is a bit misleading.

She may need it in the end, but she might not if she ends up getting adequate medication/treatment. It's so impossible to tell right now.

No one has really had enough time to assess or diagnose her. They need that information before they can determine the best way to handle her situation.

I'm sure they would like to have enough time to give her proper psych tests and an adequate evaluation before awarding a conservatorship.

I'm seeing you are getting a bit of flak for this, and I'm not sure why. While I guess it's true that depending on the person, anything can be triggering, a great deal of people are directly triggered specifically by violence and abuse. And it is difficult to determine content from headlines alone when they are…

Your kitten is adorable.