In your extensive quotes of the article, why did you omit the following?
If the non-verbal response to your eye contact, moving closer or other signals such as a simple arm-touch is negative, there is clearly no point in asking "May I kiss you?" or even "May I hold your hand?" If the body-language response is positive, you progress cautiously, gradually escalating the level of intimacy only if you continue to receive positive responses, and backing off immediately if the responses are negative. If more people understood and followed such simple rules, there would be no need for misguided attempts to prevent sexual harassment by banning harmless flirtation
Probably because I took the lines to mean "in the ideal situations" or "in the desired situations" rather than "in all situations." Many men are just unaware, not sensitive enough, not experienced enough, etc., but also possibly, as quoted from the article:
The answer is that although we are programmed to flirt, flirting, like every other 'instinctive' human activity, involves an element of social learning.
Misunderstandings can arise, for example, from the fact that men tend to mistake women's friendliness for sexual interest.
It is perhaps not entirely surprising, given the levels of ambiguity and deception to which they are subjected, that males of the species tend to become confused.
It's a reasonably long article, and readers are apt to apply some bias in their reading. That's why I suggested everyone read the article itself and tried to minimize individual "interpretation" as globally applicable. Somehow, some readers still "assume" I'm trying to force my bias on others, even when I _explicitly_ state that I'm against that. (It's the nature of communication, I suppose.) As I stated before, even the choice of quoting includes bias.
Disclaimer: My writings are my opinion, and may or may not reflect that of others.
