Flirting Is Dangerous.

This is odd... you make a leap of logic here from "men are predatory" (which I agree with: it's our nature to want and to take that which we want) to "fragile ego". Where's the connection?

As far as your comments below... everyone's different. What you find boring or cliche might be exactly what another girl loves. What you love might scare, turn-off, bore, or embarrass someone else. Even more complicated, the same attitude, lines or nonverbal behavior may not work on another day for the same person. Judging someone's flirting in a general sense (as you do below) based solely on your tastes is narrow-minded.

To me, it sounds like you are a rare woman who is painfully and consciously aware of what is happening in any social interaction. When made obvious, it becomes blatant, crude and even silly. I see the same things, but the world is run by extroverts.

I find it cliche and boring, most people aren't that creative. Generally speaking, flirtatious people are always trying hard to be sexy. Sexiness is a quality that very few people truly possess, one should never "try" to be sexy. Women try to hard...and men say and do the same cliche things.

Its the hint of predatory aggressiveness behind the silken words that makes it so hot.