TikTok’s viral ‘Triangle Method of Flirting,’ explained

What’s old is new again. TikTok users are falling in love with a flirting technique from the past that has found new life with a new generation.

The triangle method of flirting is a simple, low-key way of determining if someone is interested in you. Those who are in the dating game praise its ease and effectiveness.

What is the triangle method of flirting?

The triangle method of flirting you’ve seen all over your For You Page aims at perfecting that fine art. It’s also great for even the shyest people because it doesn’t involve simultaneously verbally engaging the subject of your desires.

To nail the triangle method, you need to be at a vantage point to look at the person you’re attracted to. It probably works better when engaged in conversation, but you can also mysteriously gaze if that’s what you’re into. Begin by looking at one of the person’s eyes.

Next, you’ll shift your gaze to their mouth before moving on to their other eye. You don’t want to look at any one point too quickly, but you also don’t want to stare for too long. The idea of the flirty technique is to show interest in engaging the person intimately and subtly showing interest.

Triangle Method of Flirting origin

TikTok content creators — from dating coaches to relationship therapists to singles on the dating scene — are all swearing by the triangle method. While it seemed to spring up out of nowhere on social media, it actually got its roots in Reddit, via a thread called “Triangular Gazing and it’s power” posted to r/seduction.

Later, it was referred to as “triangle gazing,” with people discussing the method, explained in pick-up artists’ Westside Toast Masters ebook, in a 2011 thread.

Next, the method was the subject of a YouTube video that amassed close to a million views, describing it as a “secret” to attract women.

The triangle method of flirting first appeared on TikTok in late 2021.

Triangle Method of Flirting examples

To better explain how the triangle method is being utilized by daters everywhere, the following TikToks do a good job of showing how Gen-Z feels about the trend:

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