To be fair, I spent 3 years where I was socially isolated and had horrible shame/bad self esteem. I would go to coffee shops a lot to read. This was the only social interaction I got besides going to concerts by myself.

I really wanted someone, anyone, to talk to me.

No one ever did.

Well, no one ever did until summer 2013, when this very hyper-active, very petite woman next to me at Starbucks started talking to me. We became friends and this jolted me out of my 3 years of severe depression and isolation.

I guess it is a problem when people won’t just leave people alone when asked. I just never in my life have had that happen, and I do not understand what women are complaining about. In this instance, “I just want to read” is really not a direct way to tell the guy to go away. When he kept talking to you, you should have just said, “i just told you I want to read, so stop talking to me.” It is weird that your solution was to leave rather than be direct.

In my experience, when I shut a guy down (rare since I almost never get hit on), he scurries away immediately. Sometimes they’ll ask why I’m not interested. I tell them bluntly. Sometimes they accuse me of being superficial. I suggest they go hit on someone else less attractive. When they don’t, I win. They go away.

I’ve also said things like, “If you lose 40 pounds, then we can talk.” I guess I’m an asshole, but I have never in my life felt sexually harassed.