You may have come across the phrase “leading someone on” whether in text or heard someone say it.
If you are wondering what it means, then that is what this piece is all about.
Let’s take a closer look at the phrase and understand it.
The phrase “leading someone on” can be explained in two different ways.
It is safe to say it has two different meanings.
One is derived from just the combination of the words while the other is an idiomatic expression.
Let’s understand these two concepts better.
Leading someone on can literally mean to guide someone through or show a person the way.
It could be about a process, a thing, or knowledge.
It just means that you are taking the lead to show people or someone how to achieve a result.
This is the literal meaning of leading someone on
It may be the first to come to mind when you hear the phrase.
For instance, a boss at work can lead a subordinate on in a process or how a particular job is done.
It can be showing by example how to get things done.
A parent can show their child how a particular thing is set up.
That will mean that the parent is leading the child on to do the setup of the thing so that next time the child can be able to do it without having to call or wait for the parent.
The second meaning that borders on the idiomatic expression is a bit different.
It means an act of encouraging someone into a s*xual relationship without a true intention of loving the person.
It can be explained as flirting with someone as though you really desire to have a love or intimate relationship with the person who may not be interested in such a love relationship.
It is a false love relationship because it is mere l*ring.
At first, it wasn’t about the deceitful pulling of someone into a love relationship, it was about deceiving someone into something.
This is as old as 1500 but over time, the phrase began to gain more attraction towards seducing someone into a romantic relationship that the enticer is not really willing to engage in.
That has become its definition or explanation today.
Usually, when people engage in this act, it is for a secret agenda.
It could be to get the person into trouble or to prove a point.
An example of this happens in the workplace a lot of times where a lady may be leading a colleague on and by the time he responds accordingly, he is then reported for s*xual harassment.
It is bad in some cases that the guy may not have evidence of the lay leading him on but the lady will have evidence of the s*xual harassment.
So when you feel someone is making s*xual advances to you, you need to check if it is done with the real intention or not.
This is in your best interest especially if it is in a work environment.
It can also be a tactic to steal from you spiritually.
Guide your life!