<flirting is a promise of sexual intercourse without a guarantee. --Milan Kundera >
I think it's a clever definition, but that it leaves something out, a nuance. I think flirting can also be a form of sexual-stimulation play understood by both parties as only that, so there is no 'promise' involved, except in so far as both participants know that because there is an attraction, a 'promise' is being simulated purely for the excitement of the moment; and maybe also for the gratification of learning to what degree the attraction is mutual. But mostly I think it's just very slightly naughty playing. There is another, cruder, term used for heavier-duty flirting of the sort Kundera is defining, I think.
Of course flirting or teasing can be motivated by factors other than sexual excitement. Practical considerations of one sort or another, conscious or unconscious.
[In Edit window: I just read your comment about games, Dadepfan, and you can see that in my example, there isn't any dishonesty involved. I guess there could be sad misunderstandings, where one party thinks a promise is implicit, and the other thinks both of them understand that they're only playing. Blue gave an example of a practical consideration, a conscious one, that can motivate flirting; but that's not dishonest either.] |
