Can men and women be just friends ?

r/

I’m just really curious because I think I could just be friends with a girl with out catching feelings

Comments

  1. peakpenguins Avatar

    Yes. It doesn’t always work out that way, but yes it’s possible.

  2. Expensive_Magician97 Avatar

    Of course they “can.”

    You simply respect her demand for a platonic relationship and not force yourself on her… even though you may really, really want to.

    It’s called “self-control.”

    And its a sign of maturity.

  3. TessaTalksTech Avatar

    Yes, men and women can be just friends but lie to yourself for a second and you’re in a ticking time bomb. Feelings don’t wait for permission.

  4. Gwynemia Avatar

    Yes, as long as both of you are equally unattracted to each other

  5. thewNYC Avatar

    Yes of course

  6. Dry-Release5224 Avatar

    i think women can be friends with men but men can only be platonically friends with women they don’t find attractive.

  7. Aggressive-Dark5584 Avatar

    There is a simple rule.

    Yes possible but not probable.

    99% chance 1 of the 2 parties has some kind of alternative motive at some point in time. This is just fact most women dont realize most dudes are just waiting for their turn.it aint your (boy buddy) lmao

  8. ProfessorPhoenix1111 Avatar

    Absolutely possible. I mostly hear the sentiment of men and women not being able to be friends from other men. What I’ve noticed from the men that think men and women can’t be friends are that they don’t see women as people or respect women enough to see them in a non-romantic/non-sexual context or they are ignorant and listen to the men that I just mentioned. I fell into the second category for the longest time before I looked back and saw all the women I was friends with that I never felt anything for.

  9. gimli6151 Avatar

    Yes. I have good female friends. The key is to make sure they are friendly to your partner and hand out together and they get along.

  10. draconicmonkey Avatar

    As a man I have had female friends all my life. The secret is that you have to not want to date them, which was an awkward lesson to learn the first go round – but easy to implement once I did. As a bonus it becomes very easy when you’re married and have no interest in dating anyone else.

  11. VoiletsDaisies04 Avatar

    Yes they definitely can!! 🤗

  12. AVoiceInTheDarkn3ss Avatar

    They can, but it requires massive discipline from both parties. Or one of them has to have a really fucked up personality/physical appearance. Then they can be just friends.

  13. Ok_Tomorrow_1031 Avatar

    Wow these are some really good points

  14. _FlexClown_ Avatar

    Possible but unlikely if there is any attraction… Likely one person will want more

  15. OverweightMilkshake Avatar

    Yes. It depends, everyone is different.

  16. MukDoug Avatar

    Do I think a man and woman can be friends without having sex? Yes.

  17. MrRaider87 Avatar

    Nope. Only way that works is if your parents knew each other, than had kids and you all grew up together and look at them like family.

  18. ConsumptionofClocks Avatar

    Yes, men and women can be friends. But it helps A LOT (for me) if they aren’t physically attracted to each other.

  19. pinkyboy0512 Avatar

    I am a straight man in theater studies at college. As a result I typically do. Sometimes I crush on them but I am ok when they dont feel the same. Emotions happen. I refuse to ruin friendships. It’s important to me.

  20. Syanara73 Avatar

    I have had and do have women friends, some I do think are attractive, and I don’t want to sleep them even if they insisted. Also, I have women friends that I definitely would sleep with. I try to be open and honest with them about my intentions.

  21. natsaysheyyy Avatar

    Of course they can. The fact that there’s even controversy over this tells me why so many people suffer from mental health issues due to isolation. It’s sad. I have the same amount of guy friends as I do girl friends. I frequently hang out with a guy friend alone, and still nothing romantic or sexual happens. This is after multiple years of friendship. We all have different romantic/sexual interests, and sometimes we get advice from each other for those interests. We support each other’s relationships. Please go get friends of the opposite sex, y’all. It’ll make your life better and make you a better person.

  22. Husker_black Avatar

    Mods can we just delete every post that has this title.

  23. NocturnisVacuus Avatar

    well yea… one of you might even be drop-dead gorgeous, doesn’t mean the other one would want to bang.

  24. Lost-Photograph7222 Avatar

    Yeah, my best friend is a woman. We’ve been friends since we were 14, we’re 42 now. 28 years. There has never been so much as a kiss. She happens to get along really well with my wife, and her husband is awesome, both of which are a huge bonus.

    Men and women can have a friendship without issue.

  25. mancusjo1 Avatar

    Not if one of them has any attraction to the other. Usually the guy who gets put in the friendzone. And then in the back of his mind he’s thinking this. If I am just there for her she will notice one day I’m better than the guy she’s with.
    The only male friends my wife has is gay men of course. But that was the 90’s.

  26. changelingcd Avatar

    It’s certainly possible, but it often works best if you’re not young and/or horny. Gay friends, asexual friends, friends firmly in love with someone else, have a better chance. What does NOT work is some virgin/lonely teen guy hanging out with a girl he finds very attractive and being ‘friends’ mostly because he’s hoping one day she’ll reciprocate his silent crush, etc.

  27. ExcellentRise85 Avatar

    No they cannot.

  28. SirStuckey Avatar

    Yes. Although if it’s the level of friendship that has a lot of texting or private messaging it could be weird for the significant others or feel weird to the friends if one has to take a step back to the new relationship. A weird form of jealousy could arise that is not as likely with same sex friends

  29. Fun_Recognition9334 Avatar

    yes. the key is just lust over one another or have any sexual desires.

  30. Ok_Tomorrow_1031 Avatar

    I will delete just was curious of others opinion on this topic

  31. genericuser_12345 Avatar

    Yes, but if one of them catches feelings, the friendship is automatically over.

  32. Bassdiagram Avatar

    As a 31 y/o I have many female friends, even ones I feel attracted to physically but I don’t want to be romantic partners with them.

    Yes. Men and women can be friends, but it really needs to be the priority and what you want from yourself and the other person.

    I also think it doesn’t work if one person prioritizes sexual intimacy over friendship, or a desire to love the other person romantically over friendship.

  33. Suspicious-Eagle-179 Avatar

    Yes if neither is attracted to each other.

  34. Newbutterscotch_18 Avatar

    I don’t know. Everyone is always horny.

  35. AldusPrime Avatar

    —> Men and women with high emotional maturity and high ability to do perspective taking can be friends.

    —> Men and women with low emotional maturity and low ability to do perspective taking usually find it difficult or impossible to just be friends.

    So, generally the man or woman who’s done therapy, or mindfulness, or has had more healthy relationships, and has friends with more different kinds of people from different backgrounds, will have an easier time making totally platonic friends of the opposite sex. It’s really just someone who has more cognitive flexibility (to navigate emotions, perspective take with thoughts, manage impulses), more relationship experience (of all kinds), and maturity (in dealing with lots of different personalities, difficulties, and situations).

  36. West_Process8473 Avatar