I'm not a psychologist, but I think it's safe to say that most people like being complimented. Besides perhaps being awkward and not knowing how to accept a compliment with grace, there's not much harm that can come from it. Unless, that is, you try to continue on from there, talking to or over-complimenting someone who clearly doesn't want it. And no, it's not just "being nice," there is a line and far too many people cross it. If you are a woman or anyone else who experiences this type of harassment, please recognize the difference and walk away. If you see this behavior or find yourself exhibiting it, please know how to stop.

This issue is not about politics, but I can think of no better example of it than U.S president Donald Trump. From the infamous bus tape from 2005 to his recent encounter with the French first lady, he has a consistent track record of harassing women while playing it off as kind compliments. What he is actually doing is asserting his perceived "power" over them through aggression. He physically traps them in an embrace or horrifically awkward handshake while he "compliments" their physical forms.

These situations leave women practically powerless, a reality which should not be tolerated in our society yet remains an accepted norm. This reinforces rape culture, an already prevalent and destructive force in our society. This is the force that screams "what was she wearing?" "were you leading him on?" and "she shouldn't have drank so much."

It is the force of victim blaming which forces women into submission for fear for their own safety. Sometimes when a man approaches a woman in a bar and begins complimenting her, she feels the need to stay and converse out of fear of being "rude." As women we are socialized not to be "threatening" to men as that is not perceived as "attractive." We are taught to sit quietly and accept a compliment. And I'm most definitely not saying that every man who compliments a woman is subconsciously threatening her, not in the least.

I'm just trying to make it clear that there is a difference, and this needs to be made more clear. We see this kind of thing most often in places like clubs and bars, places full of socializing and flirtation. These places should be safe and fun, not scary for anyone. Again, nothing wrong with giving a compliment. It may just brighten someone's whole day or week. But do not cross the line if the person you are complimenting does not seem like they want to continue the conversation further.

We also need to teach women that they don't need to sit there politely while they are practically harassed. It is okay to get up and walk away if you feel uncomfortable. The problem is that this feels unnatural to us, we who have been socialized to believe that we are weaker in every way since birth. This is a serious problem which needs to be addressed before it gets worse.

With leaders like Trump reinforcing these ideas in the media every day, it is up to us to recognize that this is wrong and do something about it. So while simply complimenting a woman turned wrong may not seem like that serious of an offense, it is just the first touch of a much deeper issue. If we don't see the fault in even the small things, we'll never be able to fix the big picture.