The TikTok guy falling in love after a friendly dance at a Bruno Mars concert typifies a lot of research. Men tend to overestimate women’s sexual interest, particularly when they find the woman attractive (Perilloux et al., 2012). Men also tend to fall in love faster (Bode et al., 2025). Some studies find that men overestimate their own attractiveness more than women do (Yoder et al., 2017). Dating-app research also finds men pursuing women more desirable than themselves (Topinkova & Diviak, 2025), although aiming higher on dating apps isn’t exclusive to men (Bruch & Newman, 2018). Research also tells us what might happen next… Rejection can lower mating aspirations (Kavanagh et al., 2010). Repeated romantic rejection is also associated with lower partner standards and greater willingness to compromise on them (Charlot et al., 2020). As Dirty Harry put it: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”