I found that article spot-on.

In my younger days, any guy that ever started out as a "friend" evenutually wanted to have sex (unless he was happily married.) And it's not like I was some bomb-shell knock-out in the looks department. I was reasonably attractive. I'm thinking of male neighbors I had when I was single. I lived in a small apartment building where everyone was friendly and single. We borrowed things from each other. A male neighbor would stop by for a chat. Without exception each eventually came on to me for a physical connection. What was worse was when I found out that one male neighbor was telling the other male neighbors that he had been having sex with me. I liked all of them and was sexually interested in none of them. The "friendships," which I really wanted and valued became untenable. Because I was young and unattached, each guy seemed to take it as an insulting rejection that I wasn't willing to hop into bed with him.

I think it's normal for a guy to be interested in sex with just about any female he finds attractive. If a young woman is not attractive to him, he probably isn't too interested in "hanging out" with her either. Why would he be? For what?

When I was in school, it was common for male and female students to study together and get pretty friendly. Most of us were married or in stable relationships. We had each other over for dinner. Those friendships didn't last too long after we stopped being classmates.

I got friendly with the male relatives of my girlfriends. We hung out together. Sooner or later, though, their interest in me turned sexual. Young men, especially if they are unattached, tend to interpret a woman's "friendliness" as a sign that she might be open to dating them. I'ld say that any woman who isn't brain-dead knows perfectly well when a male "friend" is attracted to her and would welcome more than friendship. Men are very easy to read on that score. This gets uncomfortable for the woman who values the friendship but does not want more than that. She dreads having to hurt the guy.

We women are capable of really enjoying the company of men that we are not sexually attracted to. (That's where I think the genders are different.) I've known guys that I loved having conversations with and would really liked to have hung out with, but I knew good-and-well that, if I had shown them that level of interest, they would have wanted "a date." Then I would have had to reject their advance, which I'm sure would have been hurtful. For me to say, 'I like you as a friend, but that's it." means: "I don't find you sexually attractive." or it could mean: "You might attract me, but I see you've got issues that I don't want to be burdened with." If a man comes across as very emotionally needy, a woman may fear that he'll be devastated, if dating doesn't lead to commitment. So she decides it's too risky to even give him a chance (though she might find him attractive.)

Many years ago, I met a guy who I thought was okay, but I doubted I'ld want more than a casual fling with him. (For one thing, I thought he was too old for me . . . and he had other obvious problems.) He seemed to be relaxed and confident, so I didn't think he'ld be shattered, if we had some fun together, and I then moved on. (I was planning to move to another state in a few months.) He even said to me that he didn't think going out with someone for a while was a reason to get overly hung up on them. He seemed like a fairly happy guy who wasn't going to make me his "reason for living." So I didn't feel pressured. I think we both expected no more than some casual fun that probably wouldn't last. 30 years later, we're still together. Sometimes you just gotta lighten up and allow things to unfold as they will. The last thing on earth I expected was to fall in love with this guy. We were out having a few drinks together when he said, "You know, I really like you." He said it like he felt surprised, himself, to feel that way.

He had an quality that smart women like. He didn't have a bad word to say about his ex-wife or about any woman he'ld ever dated. He seemed to have zero bitterness over what he'ld been through with women. His divorce had been painful for him, but he did not speak critically of his ex. That sat well with me.

If a guy I was on a date with started telling me how his ex was a byeech, or how he had been terribly heart-broken by women, I would run for the hills. So would a lot of women. A woman with anything on the ball will tend to avoid guys who come across as deeply wounded or full of hurt. Bitterness and/or resentfulness in a man (or in anyone) is extremely unattractive. "Please console me because I've been so hurt by life." is absolutely the wrong message to put out there.

Ladies like guys who can make them laugh.