Signs Of Flirting
Do You Know The Signs Of Flirting?
It's always helpful to know a little about the more common signs of flirting, those which seem to be the most effective, whether you're on the sending or receiving end. Both guys and gals flirt, though the girls often seem to be the most adept at it. Some signs of flirting are hard to miss, even for the most clueless individual. Other signs are very, very subtle, but often, if recognized, the most powerful. Some signs of flirting involve the spoken word, but for the most part flirting is a nonverbal form of communication, with the message being conveyed through body language or eye contact.
Whatever the sign of flirting may be, the meaning is either "I'm interested in you", or "I'd like to know more about you". Sometimes though, it can simply mean "I like you", and there isn’t necessarily any romantic intent involved. One can't always tell if romantic intent is behind flirting or not, which can sometime make flirting a risky proposition that can backfire.
The Touch - Most men for example, don't reach out and touch a woman they don't know well, though some do of course. For a man to do this can be taken not so much as being interested, but taken as being too forward or aggressive. Women on the other hand, often touch a man, especially on the arm, that they just happen to like. It's a flirting sign definitely, but sometimes it simply means I like you and trust you, and nothing more. Still, being touched on the arm by an attractive gal can reduce some men to Jello. If there is a real flirting involved, an invitation to reciprocate is part of the touch, but one does need to be sure of the intent of the touch, or at least not overdo the response.
Eye Contact And Isolation - If someone isn't interested in you, or doesn't want to become interested, they generally will not give you extended eye contact. Extended eye contact is one sign of flirting. It's not quite staring, or at east shouldn't be obvious staring, but is certainly a sign of interest. Usually if someone is following you with their eyes, there's interest there, even though they may try, though not too hard, to disguise it.
It's hard to connect with someone, man or woman, when that person is surrounded by a group of friends. If someone you're interested in is with a group of friends, catches you looking at him or her, and moves away from that group, that's usually a sure sign there's some interest there. Moving away from the company of friends in such a manner can be a very powerful means of flirting. It basically says, "Let's talk".
Ol' Cotton Mouth - As far as the talk is concerned, some men have a pretty good line when it comes to introducing themselves to a girl. Many of the rest of us get kind of cotton-mouthed or tongue-tied, or say something completely senseless or stupid. A clever girl will pick up on that and know you're interested. You might not even be aware that as cool and calm as she seems, the palms of her hands are beginning to perspire. She's interested too.
Didn't I Just See You? - Another type of flirting has to do with location. If you're walking across campus between classes, or heading to the cafeteria from your office, and the other party just happens to pass you by, not only every day, but maybe two or three times during the day, can often be one of the sure signs of flirting. It says "I'm here, are you interested?" A smile often means yes, you are. Looking straight ahead, or in another direction means the opposite. Some people pick up on "not interested" signals right away, while some others eventually have to be informed verbally.
Smiles And Raised Eyebrows - A smile is a powerful flirting weapon, and just as powerful are a number of looks or various kinds of body language designed to draw the other person's attention to you. Sometimes flirting is almost an unconscious act. One case of this is the raised eyebrows. We're not talking about raised eyebrows that are expressing disbelief or alarm. It just so happens when we meet someone we like, we subconsciously raise our eyebrows ever so slightly. That's a sign we are glad to see the person we're looking at. Raised eyebrows are not exactly a come-on, but usually mean you are welcome company.
Personal Space - More aggressive signs of flirting involve more touching, laughing, and generally getting into someone's personal space. When you can successful get into a person's personal space without their instinctively drawing back, you're making progress. Somewhere along the line, flirting may turn into courtship and all that involves, but people who are very much in love with one another, and even married to one another, will still flirt on occasion. Like other things we do, practice makes perfect in flirting, and working on and recognizing flirting signs may some day pay dividends.