Every woman wants to be swept off her feet and showered with romantic gestures. However, there’s romantic, and then there’s a bit weird, and a lot of the time, it’s hard to know where the line is. While the movies might put certain gestures on a pedestal and make you feel like you need them, there is such a thing as too much. Let’s look at these seemingly romantic gestures that, in reality, are all kinds of creepy.
1. Not letting an ex go
We’ve all been broken up with when we still had feelings for the other person, and wish things could’ve turned out differently. We know it’s going to take a long time to get over them. However, at some point, we have to accept reality and know when to walk away, BetterHelp points out. If you have an ex you broke up with who’s still trying to convince you otherwise, this might translate as creepy, not romantic.
2. Wooing you on the doorstep
You’ve been on a couple of dates with someone, and you’re planning your third date. However, mid-week, you hear a knock on the door and come to find your date standing on your doorstep. They’re holding flowers and came to see you just because they were “in the neighborhood.” Creepy or romantic? Creepy.
3. Kissing you to shut you up
If you’ve seen any romantic movie ever, you’ll have seen at least one guy do this to his romantic interest. A lot of the time, it’s on a doorstep, and more often than not, it’s raining. However, this doesn’t quite translate to real life. If you’re trying to have a serious conversation with your date, the last thing you want is for them to overstep your boundaries and stop you mid-sentence by kissing you. Creepy (and rude).
4. Watching you sleep
You’ve recently entered a new relationship and have had your partner sleep over a couple of times. The last time, though, you had a strange feeling when you went to sleep. It felt like they were watching you drift off. While they might think this is romantic, it’s anything but — which is why you feel so uncomfortable about it.
5. Shouting their love from the rooftops
We’ve all been there — feeling so passionate about someone that we want to share it with the whole world. For the most part, this is figurative and simply a sign of being in the honeymoon phase. However, your new partner might want to take this further and humiliate you publicly by making their feelings known to everyone loudly and constantly. Talk about embarrassing.
6. Threatening to hurt themselves if you don’t date them
Remember Ryan Gosling in “The Notebook”? He threatened to jump off the Ferris wheel if Rachel McAdams didn’t go on a date with him. Romantic or creepy? For Hollywood A-list actors running around in a fantasy world, this might pass for romantic. However, if your date is threatening to harm themselves if you don’t go out with them, steer clear.
7. Pursuing you even though you’re taken
At first, it was flattering. Knowing someone outside of your relationship still found you attractive was enough to make it clear that they would pursue things if you weren’t already taken. However, it’s gone on for too long, and becoming creepy. You’ve communicated that you’re not interested, but they’re not giving up.
8. Surprising you at the office
You went on a date with someone over the weekend, and you’re planning to see them again in a couple of weeks. However, they can’t wait that long. That’s why they’ve turned up unannounced at your office. In la-la-land, this might be seen as sweet, but in reality, it’s giving you a bad feeling.
9. Not taking no for an answer
Consent is the number one priority in any physical situation between two adults. If you’ve told your date “no” multiple times, and they’re not accepting it, there’s a chance they’re waiting for you to break down and say yes. The trouble is, dragging a “yes” out of someone after they’ve repeatedly told you “no” is not romantic or even remotely acceptable.
10. Grabbing your arm and guiding you
If you’ve consented, that’s one thing. It’s another thing entirely if your date is grabbing your arm without asking. Perhaps they’ve offered to walk you to your car after the date, and you agreed. You weren’t outside of the restaurant for two seconds before they grabbed your forearm and guided you in the right direction. Not romantic. Creepy.
11. Love-bombing you
When you starting dating someone, it’s natural to want to express your love in any way you can. You’ll want to text them all the time, talk to them on the phone, surprise them with small gifts, and share your affection on social media. However, there is such a thing as too much attention. If your partner is love-bombing you, then you might feel like all they’re doing is thinking about you, doing things for you, and wanting to be around you. You feel smothered and overwhelmed.
12. Having no sense of personal space
Whether you’re affectionate or not, it’s nice to have a little space. It’s also nice to be with someone who respects this. You like your partner, and you like being close to them, but not to the point where you feel like they’re encroaching on your personal space. Whenever they talk to you, they stand two inches away from your face, and it’s starting to feel intimidating and creepy.
13. “Bumping” into you at random places
You’ve met up with this person a few times and shared a little bit about yourself — where you work, what you like to do, and what your ideal Saturday looks like. You haven’t gone out with them in a couple of weeks, but you swear that you’ve bumped into them almost everywhere — at the grocery store, on the way to the office from your car. Talk about creepy.
14. Throwing rocks at your window
We’ve all seen it in the movies — the lover who can’t think of anything else to do but turn up at his love interest’s house and throw rocks at her window to get her attention. This is an average-at-best idea in theory, but absolutely horrendous when applied. They better be prepared to pay you for the broken window.
15. Calling you in the middle of the night
When was the last time you took a call from someone in the middle of the night? When was the last time you thought it’d be a good idea to call someone in the middle of the night? Case in point. He might want to call and say that he’s dreaming of you, but there’s a good chance you won’t appreciate being disturbed at such an ungodly hour.
