Monday, March 2, 2009

POV: flirting frenzy

(photo via smitten)

Anuja and I were talking a few days ago about the politics of flirting. I've heard a few perspectives on this subject, and it's been quite interesting to think about, like... is flirting only appropriate with love interests, or can it be a free for all? And what exactly is the line between friendly and faux pas? There's still much debate over such a gossip-worthy topic (especially in film), and I love that!

A lot of my girlfriends hate encountering guys who flirt without intention -- they think it's such a tease. I totally agree, yet (to eliminate double standards) I have to admit I can't remember the last time I ever thought to myself, "Okay, I'm going to go out there and FLIRT my face off!", or the last time I flirted with purpose. (Answer: probably not since the days of stressful middle school "group dates.") That leads to the question: is flirting even a genuine part of relationships anymore, if we do it automatically without meaning? Hmm...

Also, flirting can seem either second nature, or absolutely archaic. We flirt constantly without realizing our flirt-tastic prowess, or we dress it up in sophisticated euphemisms, like "conversing" or "networking." It's really been awhile since I've scrutinized the distinction, but I'm a girl who loves analyzing... and analogies!

So, maybe flirting is a process like shoe shopping. We can shop for fun or for necessity. We can check out a pair of shoes without any intention of committing, even if it isn't our style, or doesn't fit perfectly. It takes a lot of work to find the right pair, but sampling a variety of types always helps hone our tastes, right?

2 comments:

  1. You know what I'm coming to think of it as now...flirting should never be taken seriously unless you're absolutely given a reason to give it that value. Which ultimately means that it should only be taken seriously when there is nothing superficial behind the flirting...

    ...it'll be interesting to apply this theory in the future. What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think that boys who flirt and then dissappoint, absolutely suck!

    ReplyDelete

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