PERSONAL: The power of playing hard to get

What is it about someone not wanting us that drives us to seek their attention? Why do we need to be loved by those who don't want to love us?
I re-watched Pride and Prejudice (2005, thanks Netflix) the other day. Yes, I'm that kind of girl. I like Jane Austen. And I swoon over Mr. Darcy.
But why? Why is Darcy and Elizabeth's love so exquisite? As I watched it again, my lips moving silently along with the dialogue, I realised the main dynamic of the relationship is a game of cat and mouse. They notice each other. Darcy is aloof, cold, distant even. Elizabeth is intrigued. Challenge accepted you might even say. So she flirts, tries to melt the iceman.
But... He's really not interested.

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We all remember (just me? oh ok...) that famous heart-wrenching line,

Do you dance Mr. Darcy?

Not if I can help it.

Ah, rejection, the true food of love, not poetry or dancing. Nothing like a cold hard no to make the ladies swoon.

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But it's not called Pride and Prejudice for peanuts. Elizabeth has a certain amount of self respect, and there's a fine line between playing hard to get and being insulting. So she stops pursuing Mr. Darcy, and that's when things become really interesting. She gives Darcy a taste of his own medicine, and he knows he's gone too far.

The rest of the movie revolves around Darcy trying to reverse his image of aloof and distant towards Elizabeth. Proposing marriage? Nah mate, not interested. I think it's safe to say that Elizabeth gets more than her revenge's worth when it comes to playing hard to get.

It really goes to show that Darcy can play his game for a little while, but once Elizabeth starts, he quickly finds himself out of his element.

Women really are the masters of the dating dance. Like birds, they get to choose the best dancing partner, the one with the biggest feathers (😉).

When they look like Keira Knightley of course.

Did I over analyse Pride and Prejudice? Maybe. Maybe not. Mr. Darcy remains a bomb.