Signs of Flirting

It’s happened to all of us. You meet someone cool.  She’s good-looking, too.  You talk for a while, but say goodbye without exchanging numbers.  Afterward, your friend says “She was totally flirting with you!”  You think, “What?  I thought she was just being friendly.”  How could you have missed that?  Or, you may be one of those people who think that everyone is flirting with them all the time.  Hint: they’re probably not.  Here are some signs of flirting to watch for so you can stop being either of these people once and for all.

1.       She makes eye contact with you and lots of it.  She’s looking at you, then looking away, and then looking at you again.  When you meet her eyes, she holds the gaze for a few seconds.

2.       He’s smiling at you.  Smiles are usually meant to express happiness, put others at ease, and signal that you’re open to being approached.

3.       She moves away from her group of friends.  She may pretend to be fiddling with her cell phone or shoe laces.  This may mean that she’d like you to come say hello.

4.       He comes and says hello.  This means he likes what he’s seen of you and would like to get to know you better.

5.       You ask her a question and she gives you a decent answer (meaning not a “yes”, “no”, or the bare minimum).  This is a strong indicator that she’d like to talk to you.

6.       He asks you about your interests.  This shows that he’d like to get to know you as a person and is interested in seeing if you have anything in common.

7.       She angles herself toward you, even when you are with a group of people.  She may address questions or comments for the group to you in particular.

8.       He makes jokes.  He wants you to think that he’s funny and have a good time hanging out with him.  He may also realize that shared jokes can make you feel like you’re closer than you actually are.

9.       She tells you that you’re funny or that you have a great sense of humour.  This is a huge compliment and she knows it. 

10.   He teases you.  Much like elementary school, when people care about each other, the pick on each other (good naturedly, of course).  This can also create a feeling that the two of you have known each other longer than you have.

11.   She compliments you.  It might be about your appearance, your clothes, your personality, or your accomplishments, but they’re all expressions of admiration.

12.   He mirrors your movements.  He’s subtly mimicking your movements because he is attracted to you.  He probably doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. 

13.   She touches herself.  Touching her lips or applying lip gloss, playing with her hair, and touching her neck indicate that she’d like you to direct your attention to these particular areas.

14.   She arches her back, angling herself to you sideways.  This is many women’s most flattering side, so it’s only natural that she’d strike this pose where you will notice

15.   He touches you on the arm, hand, or back while you’re talking.  He could just be a touchy person, but it could also mean that he’s interested. 

None of these signs, taken individually, are necessarily a sign of flirting, but if you notice that someone is doing several of these, she is probably flirting with you.  Then the question is, do you flirt back or let her down gently?