Ethical Slut - Dossie Easton [41]
Most of us, though, lose this precious ability by the time we’re grown-ups and need to learn it all again from scratch. Your authors believe that great flirting should be an end in itself rather than a means to an end. Practice flirting for fun, and maybe put aside, for the moment, any specific goals about getting laid. Focus on getting good connection. Watch the way many gay men flirt with straight women—friendly flattery, lighthearted innuendo, nonthreatening intimacy, all made possible by the realization that the interaction is intended simply for mutual pleasure, not in the hopes of a quick dash to the nearest bedroom.
We suggest, then, that you learn to flirt simply by practicing. The sort of behavior you may associate with the word “flirting” (“hey, baby, what’s your sign?”) is not the sort of thing we’re talking about here and is, in fact, its exact opposite. Great flirting is about seeing; hunger to be seen is a natural human emotion, and when you show people that you’re seeing them, it’s natural for them to start seeing you.
A lot of flirting is nonverbal. There’s a way of holding eye contact for just a moment longer than usual—more than a passing glance, less than an outright stare—that lets a person know that you find them worth looking at. Turn your body so that you’re facing the object of your interest, and stay physically open, arms and legs uncrossed. Smile.
If your flirting proceeds to words, we suggest a sincere, personal, but nonsexual compliment to start. Is the person at the dry cleaning counter wearing a new pair of glasses? Is the person next to you on the park bench leading a poodle that’s sporting a fresh haircut? Did you hear through the grapevine that your next-door neighbor just got a nice promotion at work? A sincere compliment on any of these is a way of saying, “I’m paying attention to you; you’re not just a face in the crowd to me.” This approach may not seem like flirting to you, but trust us, it’s a great first step. Commenting on physical appearance, particularly in a sexual way (“hey, those pants make your ass look great!”) is not what we’re talking about here. Your goal is to make your friend feel fully seen, not reduced to an agglomeration of body parts.
Watch for feedback. If we were cruising you and you turned your face away from us, took a step back, or crossed your arms, we’d know you weren’t interested in connecting and we’d move on gracefully. We wouldn’t like it any better than anyone else does, but we’d do our best not to feel rejected—you don’t know us and don’t know what you’re missing out on. Besides, for all we know, you’re on the way to a date with someone you already know and are simply not available at that moment.
One of the most successful flirts we know says he has a never-fail opening line: “Hi, I’m Mike.” From there, he and the object of his attention can proceed wherever their interests take them: the weather or scenery, their work, their kids or pets, the sorry state of the world today, their favorite foods, whatever. This stage of flirting is exploration, getting to know this wonderful new person, discovering the ways in which you’re similar and the ways in which you’re different, seeing how you might connect. The sexy part of this is in the energy—the flash of a smile, a brightness in the eye. You usually can tell when you’re talking and when you’re flirting—it’s the energy.
We recognize that if you are shy, or have been taught that nice girls or boys don’t flirt, or are accustomed to a more predatory style of flirting, all this can be difficult to learn. We wish we had a magic flirting wand that we could wave at you, but since we don’t, you’re just going to have to practice. A willing friend, preferably of the gender (if not the orientation) that you normally flirt with, can be a help here: pretend that you’re meeting for the first time and try flirting. The friend can give you feedback about whether you’re coming on too weak or too strong and help you refine your skills. When you start enjoying flirting in and