Reading Body Language

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen Feb 8, 2008

If you think your boss or brother's girlfriend is flirting with you, you may be right. Your gut often tells you when someone is flirting, and your gut doesn't lie. More specifically, you're picking up on nonverbal communication signals from people, such as your boss or brother's girlfriend.

Sometimes the flirting signals are unconscious. That is, the person doesn't even realize it's happening. Other times, there are primal forces at work: instinct, magnetism, chemistry - those lovely uncontrollable urges. Body language is a type of nonverbal communication, and flirting is a part of that body language. Twirling hair, playing with earrings, and jingling pocket change are a few signs of flirting in women and men.

Read 10 Signs of Flirting for a full array of the signals of body language. If you're wondering about the difference between flirting and cheating, read Flirting Versus Cheating.

By the way, flirting isn't just about sex or dating. It's a great way to score good service at a restaurant or get a refund on those clothes. If it's tastefully done, you can flirt with your own grandma and walk away with the world (though most grammas give the world to their grandchildren anyway, so I guess that's not saying much).