You're definitely interested in him but he's not sending you obvious signs of reciprocation. You're not shy and you don't expect the guy to do all of the work, but you're not sure whether you should be trying out a pickup line at this point. To gauge his level of attraction, follow some tips that will help you enhance your verbal and nonverbal flirtation skills.
Test With Eye Contact
Making prolonged eye contact with strangers can be so unsettling that most people avoid meeting each other's eyes for more than a second at a time, according to the Social Issues Research Centre. To initiate flirtation with him, gaze across the room and attempt to maintain eye contact for more than a second. He may return your gesture if he's interested. If he looks away and meets your gaze another time--particularly if he smiles--you can assume that he's interested and approach him, says the Social Issues Research Centre. To continue showing interest through eye contact when you speak to him, look at his face about three-fourths of the time and hold glances for one to seven seconds.
Move In
Depending on what culture you live in, most strangers are socially comfortable with being between 4 and 12 feet away from each other, says the Social Issues Research Centre. This personal bubble decreases between people who know and care about each other. To indicate your interest, you may test your interest's comfort level by standing at the borderline 4 feet distance from him. If he remains interested and he doesn't edge backwards, move to arm's length--about 2 feet, 6 in.--to show that you want to be near him. Be careful not to get closer than that too soon. Even someone who's interested may become uncomfortable if you're closer than 18 inches away from his body. Moreover, you don't want to send him the wrong signal.
Mirror
Mirroring the essence of a guy's body language indicates that you're interested in him because it displays that you believe you both are on the same level and in the same mood, says BBC UK Relationships online. If he leans towards you, lean in. If he crosses his legs, do the same. However, be careful not to mirror his actions immediately after him; try waiting about 50 seconds and he likely won't be aware of what you're doing. Also avoid mirroring negative body language.
Flash Eyebrows
Humans from all cultures unconsciously raise and lower their eyebrows for about one-fifth of a second when they see someone they're attracted to, according to BBC UK Relationships online. If you deliberately raise your eyebrows for up to a second while you engage in eye contact with a guy, he may recognize on a subconscious level that you're interested.
Talk
Using all of the nonverbal methods of flirting won't be fully effective if you don't talk to him. Avoid getting too personal too quickly or you may scare him off. A non-personal observation about your environment phrased like a question, sas "Everyone in the city showed up for this party, don't you think?," is a simple way to ease into a conversation. Some contexts allow you to ask more detailed questions. At a sporting event, for example, you may ask, "Who do you think's going to win?" Don't forget make use of your sense of humor to keep the dialogue lighthearted and non-threatening. Men respond well to playful teasing, says to the Social Issues Research Centre, because they often toss good-humored insults among their groups of friends.
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