I have been seeing posts throughout my time on LinkedIn by women who have stated that they do not want to be flirted with and that LinkedIn should not be considered a dating site. The purpose of this article is to provide a different angle, which is one that is by a man. Specifically, I want to explain why I do not flirt nor want to be flirted in turn.
Good looks do not last in this world, and there is a good chance that the woman you flirt with might not look the same fifty years from that point. I know that it sounds depressing, but I am just keeping it real. I am living in a day and age where people in higher positions of authority are willing to lie and embellish for some political expediency; and it is tiring to me, while the truth is like a fresh drink of water.
I would know that good looks do not last because I would always get compliments on my good looks from the time I was quite young. Then as I got older, I started losing my hair and started gaining weight. So, who knows what else I would lose, right?
However, my LinkedIn profile is always there, waiting to be filled. An illustrious career background lasts longer than good looks.
I also do not want the risk of a misunderstanding or a straight-up false accusation to destroy all that I have achieved. No amount of good looks is worth the worry.
Not only that, but even if that woman reciprocates and you both start falling in love, there is that chance that she could be insufferable and only views you as a piggy bank, a dog on a leash, or a beast of burden. I do not tolerate that bullshit and neither should you, so do not bother.
Even when I was young, I was always concerned with girls flirting with me, because I did not want to reveal my mental disorder. I did not want them to use it against me or completely disown me, so I did not bother pursuing a relationship. So, maybe that other party is not interested because she is not comfortable or has insecurities of her own.
All of these are my reasons for not flirting on LinkedIn, because I do not want to show myself as a weakling who needs another human being to validate myself. Weaklings do not change the world, they ruin it for everyone else.
To anyone who flirts on a site like LinkedIn, it is your time that is being wasted obsessing over something as ephemeral and meaningless as good looks. To the other party, they view it not as a sign of strength, but a sign of weakness. That amount of time wasted could be spent on your profile and actually progressing in your life.