you could be "exposing yourself to someone without a moment of hesitation" and be desperate or clingy
Well, everyone has feelings of insecurity, and there's no shortage of women who understand that. To the contrary, I think it's a good litmus test for a woman worth dating. If your feelings of insecurity are so so extensive as to be desperate, needy, clingy, etc., it's probably a good sign you shouldn't be trying to start a relationship to begin with, most certainly not a dishonest one.
Again you aren't getting what it's all about. Being desperate or clingy is not always a manifestation of insecurity. It's possible to act desperate or come on too strong and not even realize it. But this is just one example. You seem to refuse to accept that someone can be perfectly capable of being in a relationship while not realizing that they may be doing things that are off-putting; things that aren't defining characteristics. Nothing I've said is about dishonesty.
And to be clear, my views here are primarily related to the very early stages (even if they still apply later on); literally just meeting someone and the time that follows. At these times, a girl needs a reason to talk to you over the 50 other guys that have approached her that day. There are countless things you can do/not do without being fake that might give you the upper hand.
Well, everyone has feelings of insecurity, and there's no shortage of women who understand that. To the contrary, I think it's a good litmus test for a woman worth dating. If your feelings of insecurity are so so extensive as to be desperate, needy, clingy, etc., it's probably a good sign you shouldn't be trying to start a relationship to begin with, most certainly not a dishonest one.