So, when people say, someone was flirting with them or they were flirting with someone, many of us feel "Oh my god! He is married or she is in a relationship! how can they do it?". But good news for the flirts , new researches in the same field reveal that Flirting is healthy.
Dr. David Henningsen has identified 6 goal oriented reasons of why we flirt:
1. Relational Reason: When people want to move up a bit in their relationship, Stranger< Aquaintance< Friends< Good friends< Close Friends< Romantic Partner
2. Exploration : Just out of curiosity few people might want to flirt , to check if he likes it or she responds or how does he/she react
3.Fun: Have you ever seen a person, who flirts with almost every one. Looks and age doesn't even bother them at all. They do it for fun.
4. Instrumental: You flirt because you want to get your work done, or get someone to buy your drink or even do your assignments.
5. Esteem : Sometimes it becomes a matter of esteem . People flirt to boost their self esteem. Flirting or being flirted gives us high confidence boost up.
6. Sex: And of-course, we flirt to have sex.
So,is it still OK to flirt? Many of us like to flirt on occasion with friends, co-workers or passing acquaintances. When you are in a committed relationship, though, flirting is more complicated. What constitutes acceptable flirting depends not only on your intentions, but also on how your significant other feels about it. (Hint: If you are keeping it secret, you are probably flirting with disaster.)
How can you tell if a person is flirting, or just being friendly? It isn't easy. The uncertainty is what makes it exciting.
Bibliography:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324439804578114983903868220
http://media2.stcloudstate.edu/ereserves/cmst/211/34125059.pdf
1. Relational Reason: When people want to move up a bit in their relationship, Stranger< Aquaintance< Friends< Good friends< Close Friends< Romantic Partner
2. Exploration : Just out of curiosity few people might want to flirt , to check if he likes it or she responds or how does he/she react
3.Fun: Have you ever seen a person, who flirts with almost every one. Looks and age doesn't even bother them at all. They do it for fun.
4. Instrumental: You flirt because you want to get your work done, or get someone to buy your drink or even do your assignments.
5. Esteem : Sometimes it becomes a matter of esteem . People flirt to boost their self esteem. Flirting or being flirted gives us high confidence boost up.
6. Sex: And of-course, we flirt to have sex.
So,is it still OK to flirt? Many of us like to flirt on occasion with friends, co-workers or passing acquaintances. When you are in a committed relationship, though, flirting is more complicated. What constitutes acceptable flirting depends not only on your intentions, but also on how your significant other feels about it. (Hint: If you are keeping it secret, you are probably flirting with disaster.)
How can you tell if a person is flirting, or just being friendly? It isn't easy. The uncertainty is what makes it exciting.
