Misreading romantic signals

Have you ever met someone new, felt an attraction to them, and felt like they returned that attraction instantly? Maybe you met at a social gathering, at a bar, at work or somewhere else entirely. No matter how it happened, you got the vibe that you were both very interested in one another and that they were flirting with you.

Then you made a move to take things to a more serious level, but they responded with shock. They were angry. They told you they didn’t know what you were thinking, but that your actions were not warranted and not even wanted.

If you were surprised and confused, you’re not the only one. For instance, one of the biggest complaints that women have is that men tend to read into their actions as flirting when women do not intend to be flirting with them at all. They just have an outward, happy personality. They may not even have realized how the other person was interpreting it.

Needless to say, this can get you into a lot of trouble. Maybe you spent weeks “flirting” with a coworker and then tried to kiss them. Maybe you made a physical move toward someone you just met at a party. Not only did the move not work, but they may accuse you of sexual assault. They could claim you made unwanted sexual advances for no reason at all — when the reason is just that you badly misread the signals. You didn’t intend to do anything malicious, but now it’s too late.

If you do find yourself facing serious legal charges after a mistake like this, you must know what options you have.