Can I Show Interest in a Woman Without Appearing Spineless?

Dear Momofuku,
How does a man not appear weak or spineless to a woman, yet still show interest in her? Apparently, such skills are needed in the dating world.
-A

Dear A,
In his book Praise the Appetite, Momofuku Ando noted with dismay that more and more people are eating less to lose weight. He believed the proper way to lose weight was simply to eat different things. In particular, he recommended yuba (a skin that forms atop tofu vats) and kanpyo (a gelatinous substance made from dried shavings of calabash, a type of gourd). "You can eat as much as you want of that stuff, and never get fat," he said. If you're showing an appropriate level of interest (stalking, for instance, would not be an appropriate level) and the woman thinks you're spineless, choose a different woman.