Dear Men. Please take a page from my husband and learn how to compliment appropriately. He does not walk up to random women, EVER. But, if he is in a conversation with a woman already (perhaps a friend, acquaintance, or cashier at a department store right after he signs the receipt), he will say “by the way, I love that necklace” or “by the way, I think that blazer is great” or “by the way, I couldn’t help but notice that your watch is really cool!”, then he follows it with “anyway, have a nice day” or “where did you get it?”, depending on the appropriateness of continuing the conversation. He does not interrupt their day, expect them to respond in kind, or focus on a part of their body. He makes it very clear that it is a PASSING compliment and that nothing hinges on their reaction. Perhaps he understands these things because he is a Pre-K teacher, so he just uses the same rules that he tries to teach his kids. Be respectful and keep your hands to yourself. I am very lucky indeed to have a man like him to call my husband, because unfortunately his type is very rare. (My friends who meet him literally swoon). Basically, if it is something that you wouldn’t say to another guy without the expectation that the guy would think you were coming on to them, then don’t say it to a girl and pretend it is a compliment with nothing behind it! Would you ever go up to a random guy in a mall and say “hey, sexy!” or grab their butt? No. Because not only is it socially inept, but you could get punched or worse. It would be seen as an overt come-on, and if that guy did not want it or like it he would be able to react. Don’t treat women differently just because they are physically or socially unable to react. Not all women are sexually available to you, just like not all men are sexually available to you. That is the entire point of feminism - that men and women should be treated with equal respect. If you follow that rule, you will never run into trouble from anyone. The End.