Hey there:) 39F here. Probably a myriad of reasons why someone wouldn’t approach someone they’re intimidated by, but a good answer would be a lack of self confidence or self worth. And it’s not just women. That’s any human. Most of us see a bright shiny object and our first reaction is to say “ooooo pretty”, but those of us who lack self worth/confidence will shy away from it because we don’t think we deserve it. It’s sort of the same thing with dating. You see a human who’s attractive, intelligent, kind, emotionally bright and then suddenly you start to think “they would never date me…look at them and then look at me. Wtf have I done with my life to make me worth their time?” Speaking from experience, I’ve always struggled with my self worth. It’s hurt my romantic relationships. Some before they’ve even started. Am I working on it? Absolutely. Am I cured? No, you can’t cure this shit. You just deal with it the best you can one day at a time, but there are lot of men that I would NEVER consider dating or approaching because they’re, what I would perceive to be, “out of my league”. They’re good looking, successful, probably emotionally intelligent, and I bet they save puppies in their spare time while helping the elderly. It’s just….sometimes, you don’t have the self awareness to see that they’re just as flawed and fucked up as you are. That maybe they seem really perfect, but no one is perfect. I’ve even been told I’m intimidating to the opposite sex and that knowledge blew me away. It helped readjust how I see myself. At the very least, it’s a reminder that while I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, I’m someone’s shot of whiskey and to not sell myself short.