I often hear women say they wish men were more upfront about their intentions. I took that to heart over the past year, but it hasn’t worked out the way I expected. Whenever I’m clear that I’m not looking for a serious relationship, women either lose interest or stick around, seemingly hoping to change my mind.

This feels counterproductive because the whole point of being honest is to avoid the misunderstandings and drama that come with dishonesty. What am I doing wrong here? I definitely don’t want to lead anyone on or play games, but why does honesty seem to fail, even when it’s supposedly what women want?