According to Daniel G. Amen, MD, author of Making a Good Brain Great, when you feel an attraction to someone, areas deep in the brain, which are rich in the neurotransmitter dopamine, light up with pleasure. Extra dopamine courses through your body and brain, generating feelings of well-being. Your brain stem also activates, releasing phenylethylamine (PEA), which speeds the flow of information between nerve cells. “Taken together, the release of dopamine and PEA explains why, when we are around someone we are attracted to, we feel a ‘rush’ and our hearts beat faster. Attraction is a powerful drug,” reports Dr. Amen.
What does this have to do with flirting? Well, you flirt with people you’re attracted to (and hopefully they flirt back). The beauty of flirting is that there’s little risk to it. If you make an initial conversation starter and it’s not reciprocated, no big deal. But if your flirting is reciprocated, that lights up the pleasure centers of your brain and encourages you to do more, which gives you more dopamine, and the next thing you know, you’re a very happy person. So, add a little flirting to your life. It’s good for your brain.