Flirting is dangerous

Although I've never been personally involved in a one night stand, I think I can safely assert that you cannot just ask to have one with someone and it'll happen, unless either, or both, are intoxicated, at which point they are legally unable to consent to sexual intercourse. Once again, the compliments you give to a friend can still be flirtatious or lead to flirtatious behavior. For example, if a woman says to a man, "Wow, you're really good at ping pong!" it typically follows that the man would ask if she wanted to play with him. This could certainly be interpreted as flirting, but it is really dependent on the context of the situation, the relationship between the two people, and their body language. You don't necessarily give off the impression that you're in love with someone while you flirt, but rather you give off the impression that you wish to pursue them beyond friendship or just staring at them from across the room. I would agree that it's harder to have sex with someone if you drag them through the metaphorical "friend zone" and make them meet your parents, but I think our consensus on that actually supports my side of the argument. Flirtation allows you and your potential partner, or partners, to evaluate each other to see whether or not you wish to proceed out of the "friend zone" or beyond just being strangers. Your questions: "How do i know when the right time for flirting begins? How can i trust the other person?" My answer: I can't answer these for you. I can't tell you when it is the right time for you to start flirting and I can't tell you how to trust another human being because I am not you. These things vary from person to person. There is no black and white answer; it's all gray. (My advice: If you were looking for it, here it is. Flirt when it feels right to you. Don't flirt when it doesn't feel right. Don't trust everything someone tells you at face value, but do not distrust to the point where you cannot maintain a healthy friendship or relationship.) Your question: "Why start flirting during a good friendship? Why not ask the other person out?" My Answer: Flirt to evaluate the situation. Flirt to determine whether or not there is a mutual connection between you and the other person, or people, to pursue a more intimate relationship. If the other person flirts back and it appears earnest, do not hesitate if it is what you both desire. Good point on the fake number; an excellent rebuttal to the evidently poor example I gave. Let me give a better one. It is anecdotal, but still an objective point: At a party once, I was approached by a young woman while I was playing water pong. She said, "You're cute, I bet you are really good at this," and grabbed my arm as she said it. Flirtatious and upfront, combining dialogue with the symbolic action of grabbing the arm. Your question: "if it can be misinterpreted why bother flirting?" My Answer: If friendship can misinterpreted, why bother having friends? There is no form of communication that is effective 100% of time. If you ask someone directly what they mean, they can still give you an answer filled with deceit and malice. Yes, women and men can be equally vile and deceptive, but that's irrelevant to this debate. Once again, flirtation can be a tool of evaluation after a friendship has been established. This is typically the case. Two friends begin to start flirting and a relationship follows. This may be a gross generalization, and I typically do not like to generalize, but I do not believe relationships typical follow the pattern of: 1. eye contact; 2. flirtation; 3. mutual establishment of a relationship; 4. becoming friends. To add a new point of contention: flirting is fun. Whether it be a one night interaction; whether it be a short-lived exchange of flattery; whether it be an on-again-off-again interaction; whether it be consistent flirtation for a long period of time; flirtation is fun. It's nice to be complimented. It's nice to be noticed once in awhile. If you flirt with someone just for a night, you can walk away feeling good about yourself even if that feeling is short-lived. After all, humans are social creatures who need acknowledgement in one form or another. Unfortunate personal experiences should not deviate your opinion on social interaction so heavily.