How can I respond to “you’re so pretty” politely, but also sending the message that I am not flattered and want to be taken seriously?

Late to the party guy here. Just wanted to say I completely support what you say about not being obligated to give thanks about body remarks. Some guys see every female interaction as an oppourtunity they need to seize for romance/sex. Sometimes they are dumb but genuinely nice guys being kinda naive, other times they are too narrow to understand there is a person here and unless there is a lot of flirting going on, it's just not the time or place to make a move. I actually think the way you deal with it is both professional and even a little merciful, extending sympathy to a person who might not be extending it himself. I'm going to give this advice to my girlfriend, she has dealt with a lot like this in the past, she's polite and very caring so she struggles with rejecting people, it's one of many things I love about her but it does leave some guys thinking they just need to keep trying.

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