You are absolutely right in principle, but following your advice requires a lot of introspection and self-awareness, but the reality is most of our actions are half-conscious at best. The challenge is in how to improve our automatic behaviors, and how to trust that they are reasonable.
It's fine if you just like the person as a human being and are reacting in the moment. It isn't necessary to know ahead of time where this is going. We often don't. Life happens.
But the point at which you realize that you are a. Attracted and b. Trying to maneuver the person -- This is the point at which you need to have a heart to heart with your conscience. If you realize you want them and you don't really care if the feeling is mutual, then you are a creep. (The generic "you", not you the person I am speaking to at this moment.)
People do sometimes meet on the job, date, fall in love and get married. That can happen if both parties are equally aware of the potential pitfalls and both parties are equally looking out for the welfare of both people.
What separates a creep from an ordinary person who might happen to stumble into romance on the job is that creeps a. Make conscious and intentional plans aimed at a particular outcome and b. They do so with callous disregard for the other party.
Decent human beings who realize they have slippery sloped themselves into an awkward situation that might harm another start working to figure out how to avoid said harm. They don't have to be omniscient geniuses who can predict it ahead of time. They just have to decide to make other choices once the problem space becomes apparent.
