Plausible deniability explains some too-subtle signals. I see people’s false ideas that their subtle signals are legible as a sign of desperation. It’s frustrating to have desire you’re too afraid to show plainly. The idea that you can telegraph your desires clearly enough to be understood, yet so subtly that you can’t get “caught,” may be a reassuring thought for some people in this situation. Perhaps people who often feel this way make a game of it, like the Slytherin necklace?
Plausible deniability explains some too-subtle signals. I see people’s false ideas that their subtle signals are legible as a sign of desperation. It’s frustrating to have desire you’re too afraid to show plainly. The idea that you can telegraph your desires clearly enough to be understood, yet so subtly that you can’t get “caught,” may be a reassuring thought for some people in this situation. Perhaps people who often feel this way make a game of it, like the Slytherin necklace?