You’re at a party, drinks are flowing, and suddenly, someone you’ve had your eye on starts flirting with you.
But wait, they’ve had a few drinks.
Now, you’re wondering if their flirtatious behavior is a window into their true feelings or just a result of liquid courage.
So, does drunk flirting actually show true intentions?
Let’s see the reasons why it’s not that simple.
Does Drunk Flirting Show True Intentions? 15 Factors To Consider
1. Alcohol Lowers Inhibitions
Alcohol is a substance known for its ability to lower inhibitions.
When we’ve had a few drinks, we’re less likely to censor our actions and words, allowing ourselves to act in ways we might avoid while sober.
This is not necessarily because our true colors are showing but because alcohol provides a sense of courage and eliminates the fear of rejection we might normally feel.
That’s why you’ll see a normally shy person becoming the life of the party after a few drinks.
So if a tipsy individual is flirting, it might not be a manifestation of their hidden feelings for the person they’re flirting with, but a result of the alcohol making them feel bolder and more confident at the moment.
2. Alcohol Distorts Perception
One of the most well-known effects of alcohol is that it distorts our perception.
We might start to see people and situations differently, making us more prone to seeing things that aren’t there or exaggerating what’s already there.
Have you ever seen a drunk person insist that a lamp post was a person? lol
Or maybe you’ve experienced yourself thinking someone was flirting with you when they were just being friendly.
When we’re under the influence, our brain is not functioning at its usual capacity, making it difficult to accurately interpret others’ intentions or even our own.
3. People Flirt for Different Reasons
Even when people are not drunk, they flirt for a variety of reasons.
Some might do it out of boredom or simply to boost their ego.
Others use flirting as a way to manipulate or deceive someone, while some genuinely enjoy the playful banter and see no harm in it.
Now, you add alcohol to it?
Hehehe
Good luck trying to decipher the true intentions behind someone’s drunken flirtations.
4. Alcohol Can Lead to Poor Decision Making
Alcohol impairs our judgment and decision-making abilities, leading us to make choices we wouldn’t normally make while sober.
This is why some people engage in risky behaviors, such as drunk driving or getting involved with someone we don’t actually have genuine feelings for.
Why do you think police arrest drunk-driving individuals even though they insist they’re okay to drive?
Because alcohol affects our ability to make rational decisions, and this includes who we choose to flirt with.
5. We Can’t Take Drunken Words and Actions Seriously
How seriously do you take someone’s words or actions when they’re drunk?
Chances are, not very much.
Now that you know alcohol impairs our ability to make sound choices and lowers inhibitions, you can’t expect someone’s drunken flirting to be a reliable reflection of their true feelings.
It’s best not to take anything too seriously when everyone involved is under the influence.
6. People Often Regret Their Drunken Actions
Have you ever woken up the next day after a night of heavy drinking and immediately regretted something you did or said the night before?
Yeah, a lot of people do.
This is because alcohol can make us lose control of ourselves, leading us to do things we wouldn’t normally do while sober.
So even if someone does show genuine interest while drunk, there’s a high chance they will not feel the same way when they’re sober and able to think clearly.
7. Alcohol Can Create False Feelings
Haven’t we all convinced ourselves at some point that we were in love with someone after a few too many drinks?
While it might feel very real in the moment, the truth is that alcohol can create false feelings and make us believe things that are not actually true.
8. Different Levels of Intoxication
Don’t also forget that different people have different tolerances for alcohol.
Some might be completely drunk after a few drinks, while others can hold their liquor and still appear relatively sober.
This means that even if someone is flirting while intoxicated, it’s difficult to determine just how drunk they actually are and how much the alcohol is influencing their behavior.
That’s why you can’t always trust that someone’s drunken flirting is a reflection of their true intentions.
9. Alcohol Can Bring Out Our Inner Child
Ever heard the phrase “drunk words are sober thoughts”?
Well, not necessarily.
I know this phrase might be the reason you are wondering if someone’s drunk flirting is a revelation of their true feelings, but alcohol can also bring out our inner child and make us act in ways we did as kids.
Remember how carefree we were as kids?
Alcohol can bring back some of those tendencies, leading us to do things we wouldn’t normally do or say while sober.
10. Alcohol Can Make Us Forgetful
Alcohol not only impairs our judgment and perception but also affects our memory.
It’s not uncommon for people to forget what they did or said while under the influence.
This is why you might encounter someone who was flirting with you one night but doesn’t remember it at all the next day.
That means their drunken actions hold little weight because they have no recollection of them.
11. No Accountability for Drunken Actions
Alcohol provides an easy way for people to excuse their actions and behavior.
I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “I was drunk; I didn’t know what I was doing.”
While this might be true to an extent, it doesn’t justify hurtful or inappropriate actions towards others.
Unfortunately, alcohol is often used as a scapegoat for poor behavior, making it difficult to hold someone accountable for their drunken actions.
So, if someone flirts with you while intoxicated, they might not hold themselves accountable for their actions or follow through on any promises made.
12. Fantasy vs Reality
Sometimes, people fantasize when they’re drunk.
They might flirt because they’re caught up in a “what if” scenario in their mind.
That doesn’t mean they actually want that scenario to come to life.
13. Emotional Amplification
Alcohol has a way of amplifying emotions.
This means that whatever emotions we were feeling before drinking, whether good or bad, are magnified when we’re drunk.
If someone was already attracted to you before drinking, their feelings might be heightened while under the influence and make them to flirt with you more aggressively.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean they have genuine feelings for you.
It could just be the alcohol making them feel more intense emotions in the moment.
14. Social Pressure
Being in a social setting and surrounded by alcohol can make people feel pressured to join in on the fun and engage in behaviors they normally wouldn’t.
A person might be flirting with someone they might not actually be interested in, just to fit in or go along with the group dynamic.
So, drunk flirting might not reflect someone’s true feelings but rather the context of the situation.
15. Individual Differences
Everyone is different.
Some people might reveal their true intentions when they’re drunk, while others might not.
It’s quite risky to generalize.
So, does drunk flirting show true intentions?
Arrgghh
It’s complicated.
While alcohol can lower barriers, making people more open and direct, it can also cloud judgment, distort emotions, and create false impressions.
My take?
Take drunk flirting with a grain of salt and look for more reliable signs of interest, or just ask the person directly when they’re sober.
And if you are the one who is doing the drunk flirting, search within yourself to see if those feelings are genuine or just alcohol-induced.