What romantic gestures would you like to receive from a person you're dating?

N_Count_Council · 2025-12-12T10:03:16+00:00

Kinda hard to pinpoint but I just recently started dating a woman and here's some green flag things she does:

Feigns interest in the things I like. Even if she doesn't care, she still at least pretends to give a shit.
She doesn't monopolize the conversation. She asks questions about me.
She initiates physical touch, not just sex. For example she'll come sit on my lap when I'm not doing anything and be affectionate. Or put her feet on my legs if we're chilling. I know this is a small thing but it's appreciated.
She picks out clothes for me; not super elaborate clothes because I like to be frugal, but she'll go to Plato's Closet for example and find some stuff that she thinks I might like (and usually I do).
If she's going to the gas station or CVS, she always brings me back something.

Main-Tiger8537 · 2025-12-12T09:08:52+00:00

initiative no matter where would be a start...

naming generic things is not really helpful but maybe interest in/on what he thinks/dreams about or enjoys...

LysanderAegis · 2025-12-12T09:39:02+00:00

Genuine and mutual understanding. No need for materialistic stuff, especially at the beginning.

Free-Comfort6303 · 2025-12-12T09:25:18+00:00

Cook something new together.

Plan a project where we build something as a team.

Plan something fun, blowing things up, maxing something out, or destroying stuff in a safe, controlled way.

Work out together; wake up early and go on long runs.

Plan a movie date with a film of your choice.

Ask me to build something for you that uses my skill set.

Find deals on things people want to get rid of that might be useful to us, and go check them out together.

Reasonable_Mouse789 · 2025-12-12T09:43:06+00:00

Courting before sex: we’re probably just talking or watching a movie or something for a few hours, so there’s not much there to adjust

Courting after sex: lots of guys like it when they’re hugged from behind by someone wearing a hoodie

Maleficent-Age-8235 · 2025-12-12T19:33:15+00:00

Can't speak for all men, but the number one thing I care about is physical intimacy. That doesn't even mean sex most of the time. For me, feeling wanted by the girl I'm with is the hottest thing she can do for me. So just things like random physical contact. wanted to be closer to me on the couch. Draping herself on me.

Oh, and cooking is a big one for me. I can cook great, but if a girl likes me enough to want to feed me good homecooked food, I'm a sucker; she doesn't even need to be an amazing chef, just the effort alone makes me happy.

I'd say guys are pretty simple in that regard they don't really respond to physical gifts more they want confirmation that their women is there for them and not something like their wallet. It's pretty hard to fake actually liking someone in that way.

I think both sides really just want to feel like the other is putting in effort and not just expecting to be pampered.

ReasonableCoyote34 · 2025-12-12T12:06:45+00:00

• Initiating at least half of the meetings/dates

• Initiating touch. Random hugs, pinching my cheeks, etc

• Planning and paying for dates occasionally

• Being an active listener and remembering things I said

• Buying random gifts. Doesn’t have to be expensive, it could be a little $2 trinket but just something to show me that you care

Quite honestly, the bar for women is so low, doing at least one of those things will immediately put you ahead of 90% of women

AutoModerator · 2025-12-12T09:04:24+00:00

Attention!

You can post off topic/jokes/puns as a comment to this Automoderator message.
For "Debate" and "Question for X" Threads: Parent comments that aren't from the target group will be removed, along with their child replies.
If you want to agree with OP instead of challenging their view or if the question is not targeted at you, post it as an answer to this comment.
OP you can choose your own flair according to these guidelines., just press Flair under your post!

Thanks for your cooperation and enjoy the discussion!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

PoeticMoose619 · 2025-12-12T11:21:52+00:00

Believe it or not, if a woman shows up on time or even early, she's already starting with some points on the board. That shows me she regards my time as highly as she does her own.

Also, I like her to know and partake in things I enjoy. For example, I like bodybuilding, music (hip-hop and R&B), and some video games. She doesn't have to be an NPC/IFBB pro competitor who knows every rap and R&B lyric who can win EVO, but go to the gym, listen to music, and play some games with me.

That's about it.

WebNew9978 · 2025-12-12T16:33:35+00:00

No clue. Never been on a date.

Trancetastic16 · 2025-12-12T16:48:28+00:00

Besides the basics (mutual open communication, respect, taking an interest in each other’s lives, hobbies and other social relations), I’ll list things I’d be willing to also do myself, as someone who is gender non-conforming and wants the same for a relationship. The first two are requirements for me:

Initiating and planning dates at an equal rate
Both paying for each other for every date

And at least some of the rest would place a woman in the top 10% for me:

Gifting flowers
Gifting an occasional small gift (I.e. cheap jewellery)
A modest costing birthday and Christmas gift (I.e. some jewellery, a new shirt in a style I tell them I like, etc.)
Writing a short poem or love song
Collaboration on an Arts project together. I produce Electronic Music, write stories, and draw comic-style art, but I’d also do their types of projects with them if they do something else, and try new things with them.
Helping me take care of my family’s pets occasionally (two dogs, cat and Guinea pigs).

wtknight · 2025-12-12T17:36:30+00:00

Domestic duties - the type of thing that women get mad at if they have to do them for too long when they are with a man.

OkOutlandishness6370 · 2025-12-13T00:24:49+00:00

Greet me warmly when I come through the door - this is huge for me.
Make me a meal.
Back rub, shoulder rub etc.
INITIATE the sex. Or at least give the mating signal (just shift your aura i'll sense and do the rest)
Special lingerie or something like that, show some bedroom enthusiasm.
Compliments are always nice.

I am not that hard to please, I don't think. It doesn't take all that much to keep me happy in a relationship, I'm a naturally happy go lucky, lovey dovey guy despite all the caustic bullshit I spew online.

To me my happiness in the relationship is much more about like... just avoiding all the negative bullshit, than needing a bunch of positive feedback. I just don't want to be nagged, stressed out, treated like an ATM, compared unfavorably to other people in your life, have you take actions of questionable monogamy that cause me to have to pause and take stock.. etc, etc.

Some dudes on here seem to really enjoy the shit testing, back and forth, boundary testing, keep a bitch in check, tame the extroverted type A alpha female lifestyle. I could not be more opposed to that. I just want peace. Life is hard enough without having to fight more battles after I come back to my lair and see my woman.

James_M_Croft · 2025-12-12T12:09:27+00:00

Men tend to value consistent small feats more than one big one. A simple and consistent "thank you for always being there for me" or any othe type of affection is more valuable than any big material gift.

anonymousppd123123 · 2025-12-12T10:35:09+00:00

Risotto

Men are real simple. Full stomach, empty balls, happy man. There aren't whole subreddits devoted to trying to crack what men really want. Women's dating advice revolves around how to hold down a man without giving him what he wants

Title	What romantic gestures would you like to receive from a person you're dating?
Author	Prior-Impression-871
Upvotes	7
Comments	55
Date	December 12, 2025 9:04 AM UTC (7 months ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/1pknd0w/what_romantic_gestures_would_you_like_to_receive/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/what-romantic-gestures-would-you-like-to-receive.1568649 https://theredarchive.com/post/1568649

Comments