So, I was in class the other day and my professor asked, “Is flirting with someone over text messaging cheating? Is flirting with someone over facebook cheating while you are in a committed relationship?” That's a loaded question to begin with. A few students got in a heated discussion, both voicing their opinions on the matter, with neither side being able to sway the class one way or another. Somewhat predictably, the women in the argument felt that any sort of emotional connection to another person constituted as cheating, while the men felt that physical contact was cheating.
This conversation got me thinking. If it’s unacceptable to chat someone up over facebook, is it equally as wrong to flirt with someone in the workplace? It happens all the time in the workplace, and most of the time it’s shrugged off as “harmless flirting” or “passing the time”. Would you get upset if you decided to surprise your significant other at their job, only to find them flirting with someone else? Is there such a thing as “harmless flirting”? What about flirting with a classmate? Is it totally wrong to flirt with anyone from the opposite sex (or same if that’s how you rock) when you are in a committed relationship? Does flirting alone constitute the termination of a committed relationship? Are we doomed to live life as Puritans when we commit to another person, or is there wiggle room?
The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle. If you have any respect for the person that you are committed to, you shouldn’t take things too far with flirting... what too far is, I have no idea. You should definitely not have any ulterior motives. No good can come out of that and everyone gets hurt. On the other hand, it’s probably a little irrational to want to end a relationship because your partner’s a flirt. You probably knew that they were a flirt when you met ‘em!
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Using my own personal experience I would have to say flirting is fine as long as you would act the same way in front of your significant other. That being said there are times when a little flirting can go along way. Case in point you are selling something or try to get something (non sexual) like a bump to a different section of a plane for low or no cost or trying to make a sale. Flirting is harmless and it can also be devastating if used poorly. Have fun with it, you know whats right and wrong behavior
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard subject to approach... it really is hard to determine if there even is such thing as "harmless flirting." You would have to break it down significantly. Plus, there are silly misunderstandings. For example, "Hi Janis, you look great today!" Unfortunately, Janis took it differently and thought that... "Billy" was checking her out. That right there can just trigger flirting. So when it comes down to it, who started flirting with whom first?
ReplyDeleteThis stuff just becomes deep. Who creates the rules on flirting, and how much is too much? What's wrong, and what's not?
i guess it all depends on how the relationship is set up... not all relationships are the same so everybody has there own feelings on flirting. for me i dont care if my girl flirts aslong as i aint seeing it.. but for her she dont want me flirting with nobody... not even really talking to other girls but i dont mind i dont give a f!!K about these girls anyways but i love that she dont flirt either... i think its just cuz were so into each ither that we dont pay attention to others like that
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