Flirting is a normal part of social interactions but its reasons and signs can be confusing sometimes. While interacting with a date or acquaintance, have you ever wondered: Why do people flirt?
You can flirt with your eyes, your words, your texts, and even your body language. But not everyone is flirting sexually because they’re looking for love. Some people flirt for personal gain or amusement, while others are natural flirts who do it just for fun.
3 reasons why people flirt
1. Liking someone
People often flirt when they are trying to attract a partner. They may even flirt subconsciously when they have a crush on someone.
- By trying to get their crush to laugh
- Through text messages
- By drawing attention to themself (playing with their hair or licking their lips)
- Through brief physical contact, such as putting a hand on someone’s shoulder
- By trying to make someone blush
- Through compliments
- The science of flirting isn’t always easy to understand, but you can safely bet that flirting *
- will follow when two people like each other.
2. For sport
Is there more to flirting than just trying to find a partner?
Unfortunately for some, what seems like an expression of someone’s affection may be a random flirt for the sake of flirting.
Some people flirt to see how many people they can get phone numbers or sexual favors from, while others do it just because they can.
What’s flirting when someone is casually dallying? It’s called ‘Sport Flirting.’
Sporty flirting is used when one or both flirting parties are already in a relationship but flirt anyway without an expected outcome.
Interestingly, one study found that men are more likely to sexualize certain behaviors than women. This can lead to a bruised ego or hurt feelings when they find out the object of their affection was just flirting for fun or sport.
3. Personal gain
Sometimes the answer to the question, ‘why do people flirt,’ is rooted in the personal gain that someone is looking for. Flirting sexually isn’t done out of genuine interest in some instances because some people look to benefit from the situation.
In the wrong hands, flirting for fun can leave someone with hurt feelings. It can make someone feel used and even embarrassed for falling for somebody’s words and gestures.
Someone who is flirting for gain usually makes someone else feel special to get something from them. Examples of this include flirting with someone at work to climb the corporate ladder to something more innocent, like flirting with a friend who you know likes you to get a ride somewhere.
Flirting for personal gain is perhaps one of the most hurtful forms of flirting since it relies on manipulating someone else’s affections for you with no regard for their feelings.
