Being friendly and being flirty are two completely different things. There is a difference in relationships and a difference between who people are as to how they act.
Flirting can take place anywhere and usually happens when there is a sexual charge. This can mean that being friendly is not involved at all and you need to know how to read one for the other so that you don’t make an awkward move.
If you have a hard time knowing the difference between flirting and being friendly, here are some signs that can help you.
Body Language
When someone is flirting, you will be able to tell. They will be excited to talk about you and they will make contact with you.
They might grab your hand or lean close to you. They will show you that they are always listening and may even hug you. When a guy is interested, he will hug you full bodily.
Friendliness
When someone is being friendly, they will look in your eyes casually. They will not try to touch you and will stay closed off with their arms crossed. They will more than likely keep a distance and will show you that they think of you as a friend.
Behavior
When a guy is flirting in a social setting, they will show that they are interested the whole time. Pay attention to see if they pay close attention to only you. He will try to talk about things that are interesting to you and will point out things that you and he have in common.
He might also mention his friends and will smile at you and see if other guys are coming around you. If there are other guys around, he might try to get closer to you or touch your arm or your shoulder when talking to you.
Friendliness
When a guy is just being friendly, he will talk about anything and not worry if you are in the conversation or not. He will never touch you or get in your personal space. He will let you talk to other guys and will not mention you to his friends.
Direct Conversation
When a girl is interested in you, she will talk softer and will make you lean in so you can hear her. She will try to find out about you and see if you have a girlfriend or not. She will mention that she is single and will see what you like to do. She will tease you.
Friendliness
A lady who is just friendly will talk to you as she would her girlfriends. She won’t bring up that she is single and she won’t care if you talk to other girls when she is around.
Situation
When a guy is interested, he will try to be physical, accidently. When you are around his parents, he might feel awkward and afraid to touch you or be all about you. If you see your parents step out, he might be more willing to be close to you and will want to be in your personal space.
This can be a cultural thing and might be different depending on who you are around.
Friendliness
Some guys are touchy, and you have to watch out for their body language to see what they mean from it. If they are touchy and you feel that you are misreading their signs, check the other behavior and see.
Conclusion
Pay attention to your surroundings and note that not all people react and act the same. Some guys and girls are touchy, and some are not. Some might feel more withdrawn.
Pay attention to all of the signs to see if someone is being friendly or flirting. If you get confused, ask them if they like you or if they are just being friendly. What is the worst that can happen?