There’s a grey area in dating many people get hung up on—a grey area where feelings are ambiguous or one person has stronger feelings than the other. This grey area causes real, tangible issues.

“She said she’s not interested, but she still flirts with me, so what do I need to do to get her?”
“Well, I know she likes me, but she didn’t call me back last weekend, what should I do?”
“He treats me well when he’s around, but he’s hardly around. What does that mean?”

Most dating advice exists to “solve” this grey area for people. Say this line. Text her this. Call him this many times. Wear that.

Much of it gets exceedingly analytical, to the point where some men and women actually spend more time analyzing behaviors than actually, you know, behaving.

Frustration with this grey area also drives many people to unnecessary manipulation, drama and game-playing—like “forgetting” a jacket at her place so she’ll have to call you again, or “making” him wait until …