I have no idea if this has been implemented in previous games, since I've only ever played the Sims 4 (unless you wanna count Sims 3 for wii, which was very lackluster), but I've noticed something thr...
Yup, you're totally right. Right now I sometimes try to use whims as a signal for imagining crushes-like, my sim will get a whim to flirt with someone, try it, it doesn't go over well, I guess it's an unrequited crush! But of course, the whim disappears, and any lingering effects are entirely in my imagination, lol. I would love some kind of system where requited love and crushes were a real thing that impacted the game.