My biggest advice to men talking to women: ask questions. Like beyond if we’ve heard of something. I’m talking to a guy right now who is nice, he’s very nice, he’s interesting, it’s fine, but he has not asked me anything except if I’m familiar with the thing he’s currently lecturing on. And god knows I’m talking a lot too because I know how to elbow my way into a conversation, especially if I disagree, but it is an epidemic (especially when I’m talking to nerdy boys, I gotta be honest) that they just. Don’t. Ask. No one likes to spend a conversation feeling like an audience who occasionally is allowed to shout something at the stage.
I wrote this post like two years ago after talking with one specific man but I could slot in at least a dozen other men who I liked! Enjoyed spending time with! Thought were interesting! And yet who didn’t believe in ever ending a sentence in a question mark.