The days when it was reserved for men to take the first step in making contact are long gone. These days, it's completely normal for women to take the initiative too and simply approach a man — many men are even delighted when a woman makes the first move.

"Women who approach men must really be desperate" — many of us have surely heard this and similar remarks, but honestly, what nonsense is that supposed to be? It's entirely up to women themselves whether they want to wait to be approached or take the initiative.

Women who wait to be approached certainly run the risk of missing out on getting to know one or two interesting men — and that really doesn't have to be the case.

Approaching Men - Just Do It?

Secretly, most men hope for and delight in being approached by a woman. According to surveys, around 70 percent of men are waiting to be approached, while unfortunately only about 40 percent dare to take that step themselves.

Tip for approaching men:

Don't overthink it — just go for it and take the first step. The man will be impressed, even without you agonizing forever beforehand over what to say. A natural hello is worth a thousand times more than a memorized line.

If you'd like to approach men, take a calm look around beforehand and get a feel for which man might actually be worth approaching. If you've spotted an interesting candidate, try to establish eye contact — if that works and the man returns your gaze, maybe even flashing you a first smile, you can get going. If the man looks away, he might just be shy, and he'll be all the more delighted if you approach him.

Approaching Men - Dos & Don'ts

Don't deliberate for long once you've spotted a man you like — the longer you wait, the bigger your doubts grow, and there's also the risk of never running into him again. Now let's get started: as mentioned, skip any dumb pickup lines and just talk naturally — that breaks the ice the fastest. For example: "Hi, I noticed you because of your nice jacket, and I thought, I really have to say something to this guy..." Most men like a small compliment, so it's a correspondingly good way to start a conversation.

So approaching men really isn't a problem at all — though depending on the situation, you might only have a few minutes. Imagine you approach a man on the subway: if you sense he's interested, you should find some way to exchange contact details...

No-Gos Don't use cheesy pickup lines! Avoid topics like children, illness, or politics — better to bring up something mundane, delivered with confidence.