FLIRTING 101: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

What is flirting 

When we flirt, we send messages that we communicate sexual or romantic interest in another person. This communication can happen verbally, or through body language

Flirting can be voluntary when we purposely try to show interest or involuntary when our bodies unconsciously reveal how we feel. 

The ability to flirt and to read other people’s flirtatious signals is an important part of a successful romantic and sexual interaction. 

Why do people flirt?

Flirting is a natural instinct, one of the basic tools at our disposal to interact romantically and find a partner. 

People usually flirt to express their interest in another person and to investigate how the other person feels about them. 

Plainly revealing our feelings to another person can be intimidating. A potentially embarrassing rejection is scary enough to convince many of us to keep our interest to ourselves.

Flirting allows us to walk the thin line of saying something without saying it directly, to send small signals, and then to monitor how the target reacts before deciding whether to move forward or to retreat. 

We can hint at our interest in another person while minimizing the risk of public rejection. 

What kinds of flirting are there?

Here are just a few ways of flirting:

1. Smiling and winking at someone.
2. Laughing with someone in a good way.
3. Teasing someone in a lighthearted way.
4. Moving closer to someone to talk with them.
5. Listening intently and looking into someone’s eyes when they talk
6. Using sexy or suggestive and romantic language.