There’s a lot happening beneath moments like this, and it rarely stays on the surface. A compliment can land as warmth, threat, confusion, or disgust depending on someone’s history, nervous system, and lived experience. What matters is intention, presence, and emotional attunement, not the performance of politeness or the policing of desire. We’re relational beings trying to connect through layers of past hurt, fear of misreading cues, and the risk of being misunderstood on both sides. So the re