I will say that every major societal correction involves a period of overcorrection, and I think we're in the middle of that. Unfortunately, these aren't questions where you get the right answer and it's indisputably right.

I both like and hate the Livingstone piece (the "flirty boss" one). She's correct that Benedikt (the author of the original piece) leaves a LOT of context out. It's the latest of a long line of arguments proceeding from the premise that people are converting normal human interactions into actionable harassment, which is largely a canard. The guy who gets fired for fist-bumping his secretary is practically an urban legend at this point. But I'd say the main takeaway from the last few weeks is that actual sexual harassment and assault, in the workplace and elsewhere, are much more widespread than we had thought.

Benedikt is right that sometimes, you lean in to kiss someone and they lean forward as well, and that moment of nonverbal magic has been the foundation of romance for hundreds of years. I get that. It's how I got started with my wife. But I also think she's trying to reverse-engineer the argument by making the personal political. The discussion here is less about what happened than what should happen going forward.

The Benedikt piece is about wrestling with the contradictions of being a feminist and realizing that there are causes bigger than your personal experience, and understanding that rigid rules can't be applied to every situation, which is healthy and true. I think I agree with Livingstone more, but Benedikt feels more intellectually honest.