The man who checks out "mediocre women" as a "good deed".

A man has explained at length why he believes ogling women in public is a “good deed” — and he’s prompting women of the internet to explain why he’s misguided.

The man, who chose not to reveal his real name, made the eyebrow-raising confession in a Reddit thread entitled, “I pretend to check out mediocre women.”

He begins the post by describing how his habit began when he accidentally glanced at a woman’s chest area out in public.

“Once I was reading a girl’s shirt… and she thought I was checking her out and blushed a lot,” he writes, using the pseudonym MentalPurges.

The man adds that while his unusual habit "started out as a good deed," he now overtly checks "mediocre" women out whenever he's out shopping alone.

"Whenever I go out to Target or whatever without my wife, I check out women who would be like a 5 out of 10, maybe a 6. Never anybody that's 'pretty'."

The women he ogles are flattered by the male attention, he insists.

"Honestly, if doing this caused a lot of plain women to look disgusted with me, I would have stopped, but it's almost unanimous surprise followed by flattery," he writes.

He admits that the habit also improves his own mood: "Regardless of how I view their appearance, their enjoyment at my perceived interest makes me feel good as well."

While he clarifies that he's not actually attracted to these women -- a fact that he seems to believe makes his actions all the more noble -- he does ask for reassurance about whether he's actually a Good Samaritan.

"I don't know if this is a 'no harm, no foul' scenario, or win/win, or just selfish and manipulative," he says, adding it is not his intention to come off like "a creeper."

The confession, posted last month, has attracted more than 100 responses on Reddit already -- including many critical comments by women.

"I get the good intentions, but you're also clearly rating the attractiveness of everyone you're doing this too," one commenter writes. "Be friendly to everyone I'd say, but stop the constant objectifying rating system and pity-flirting."

Another female reader chimes in: "Speaking as a woman in your demographic (about a 5/10), if I somehow found out that the guy who I saw checking me out didn't actually find me attractive and was only pretending as a pity play, I would be absolutely crushed, and probably quite angry too.

"You're being misleading and disingenuous, and any happiness that you're bringing these women is based solely on them not knowing your real motives or feelings."

Yet another commenter adds: "Your attitude is condescending and this is the kind of behaviour that fuels the insecurities of women like me."

Another says: "First off, everyone is a ten to someone, second, I don't know, you just feel like an a***hole. Be real, women who you do or don't like don't need your pity attention, even if they do, they need it genuine."

But other readers -- many of them men -- are congratulating the ogler for his "kind" actions.

"This is called giving a dog a bone," one (charmer) wrote.

Another added: "A harmless, easy thing to do that makes everyone involved feel better about themselves. Good on you!"

Another chimed in: "It's quite interesting how much a small, kind remark from a stranger can brighten one's day; and this certainly falls into that category. Kudos, buddy!"

"I know when girls look like they are checking me out or they smile at me, regardless of anything else besides they are a girl, it brightens my day and makes me feel happy inside," yet another added. "Rock on."

So: Ogling women out of the kindness of his heart, or not so much? Tell us what you think.