Flirting

Flirting is often described as casual conversation with a romantic touch. But it need not be spoken interaction at all.

Flirting is a way of treating serious things (such as sexual attraction or death) with an almost mocking or self-mocking air of ease. It can be either pleasantly diverting or wildly exciting, depending on the context.

People who flirt can speak and act in a way that suggests greater intimacy than is appropriate to the relationship (or to the amount of time the two people have known each other), without actually saying or doing anything inappropriate. One way they accomplish this is to communicate a sense of playfulness or irony.

Flirting consists of stylized gestures, language, body language, postures, and physiologic signs, some of which are also part of foreplay. Among these are (the Cultural bias here is specific to Western society):

• Winking
• Dilation of the pupils
• Slight, casual touches
• Smiling
• Sending and receiving notes, poems, or written music
• Singing or playing a musical instrument