Why do people think a male and female are a couple?

Lifting_chick

So what makes you think a male and a female that are together are a couple? My best friend is a male and everyone thinks we are a couple. Just because a male and female are together do people just think they are a couple instead of friends or even brother and sister?? What is the deal, we don't kiss hold hands any of that we are just friends hanging out together or at the gym.

freezerburn2012

Because 99% of male/female pairings are couples?

Or, some people wish that their SO would work out with them at the gym?

Sl1ghtly

Who would think a guy and a girl who aren't related, but partake in regular activities are a couple? That just don't compute.

Lifting_chick

This weekend my bff and I were working out and a guy neither of us know, came up and told the bff he thought I was here with another guy because my bff was not wearing his hat that he always wears......

Carl01

When you see a guy and gal together talking what is your first assumption?

La_Amazona

I've thought of this too. I have one guy friend (we started as dating but then decided to be just friends- although I am still attracted to him) whom I'm sure when we're together we look like a couple. I never get hit on by guys when I'm with him! We laugh and talk the whole time so when I think about it as an outsider, I'd assume we're a couple too.

Lifting_chick

I don't assume they are a couple, and even if I did think someone was a couple and then saw one of them with a different person....I would not go say something to them about it.....

Laces_0ut

its unusual to not think they are a couple.

lp1991

This happens to me all the time.....my best friend is a guy and we are close.....but it does makes us feel abit awkward when people start assuming that we are together. the comments are the worse part about it.

Sh1tsRainbows

I used to hang out with my brother all the time and i guess people ASSumed we were a couple

odusgolp

*shrug*

it only sucks when people mistake a relative for your significant other ... cause that's just creeptastic.

BAMFMeredith

I don't really assume people are a couple unless they show communicative cues that tell me they are a couple...you can learn a LOT about complete strangers just by being observant.

And that's what happens when you take a million interpersonal communication and behavior classes in college, you just watch people and invent stories about their lives.

Edit: Side note, somebody asked if my bf and I were related one time. Which is especially funny because we're not even the same ethnicity. I'm caucasian, he's Mexican. And people always assume he is my son's dad (he is not) which is ALWAYS awkward because then my loud mouth 5 year old says "No, that's my Jason, not my daddy, my daddy's name is John."

fionarama

I wouldn't assume but I think if your friend is your best friend and he's male there may be a bit of denial going on. If your'e heterosexual and you are closely connected emotionally maybe you should be a coup;le??? I certainly would not like my husband to form any kind of close friendship with another woman so I'm not sure on how being best friends with a guy like that impacts your couple relationships?

Crimson_

i believe the term is probability.

morganhccstudent724

Wait...What?

_Timmeh_

When I'm walking my dog, people automatically assume it's my dog.

BAMFMeredith

I wouldn't assume but I think if your friend is your best friend and he's male there may be a bit of denial going on. If your'e heterosexual and you are closely connected emotionally maybe you should be a coup;le??? I certainly would not like my husband to form any kind of close friendship with another woman so I'm not sure on how being best friends with a guy like that impacts your couple relationships?

One of my best friends in the whole world is a guy, and my bf is totally ok with it. We have been friends since college, and have never been romantically attracted to one another. It's like a brother/sister relationship. I was always trying to find a nice girl to set him up with (and now he has the SWEETEST girlfriend ever), he was always trying to make sure guys didn't take advantage of me, etc. We were each other's wing man/woman in college! I'm not physically attracted to him, but we are really close friends and talk all the time. I think if there is mutual trust between you and your partner, there's no reason for it not to be ok.

That said, it would be really weird if all of the sudden I had this brand new guy friend, or if my bf had this brand new female friend---THAT wouldn't really fly with me, just seems weird to all of the sudden get a guy's # or vice versa. But my bf has female friends he's known for years that I'm totally cool with. All about what kinda boundaries each relationship has individually

skittybang

I like that you keep calling him your "BFF."

"Hey, you guys make a cute couple"
"We're not a couple! We're BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!"

Sh1tsRainbows

*shrug*

it only sucks when people mistake a relative for your significant other ... cause that's just creeptastic.

very creepy... but dont dem der people say keep it in the family??? :flowerforyou:

Qarol

Because Harry said, "men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way."

OceansForever

Not everyone does! People used to think my boyfriend was my brother. We've got that more than a handful of times. Got rather annoying!

Savyna

Its because people are just conditioned to think as such. A young person (black girl) pushing a stroller with a baby inside (who is also black) more often than not people will think that is the mother and not think sister, or baby sitter (this has happened to me when I was 14...the lady just asked me is that my kid and I was like no...do I look old enough for a kid? she said no. so) just dont pay it any mind. If you know what your relationship is between you and this guy as friends then don't worry about why someone is quick to think you are dating him instead. if it bothers you that much maybe make matching shirts that say he's my friend/she's my friend and on the back say we're not dating so don't ask.

SmartAlec03211988

Somebody thought I was my sister's boyfriend once.

Why the heck they thought that is way beyond me, but it happens. :S

soniyamas

Because Harry said, "men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way."

LIKE LIKE LIKE

Squidgeypaws007

People auto-run the possibilities in their heads and because of the nature of our beings, we stereotype to try to understand the world around us in easy chunks. It's just like having a play list of your favourite songs, an easy way to compute what is going on around us. Obviously not always the most accurate way of doing things, but certainly the most efficient Therefore, see a guy and a gal together and the most likely explanation is that they're a couple, followed by they are related (if there are no obvious signs of extra curricular affection) because that is ofc what is most commonly encountered by "most" people.

Watered down explanation, but there are lots of studies on stereotyping out there if you're still interested

Stacera

haha my oldest best friend from age 10 til recently is a guy.. everyone always thought we were a couple, my boyfriends and his girlfriends growing up seemed to have a complex about it at times.. His current gf doesn't like me and hasn't even ever hung out with me.. we don't see each other as much anymore and it's pretty sad.. but yeah.. everyone thought we were a couple and we didn't hold hands or kiss or any of that.. just the fact we were always together... I stopped some kids from bullying him when we were in elementary school ( I was little but scrappy) and from that point on we were friends.

chrishgt4

I wouldn't assume but I think if your friend is your best friend and he's male there may be a bit of denial going on. If your'e heterosexual and you are closely connected emotionally maybe you should be a coup;le??? I certainly would not like my husband to form any kind of close friendship with another woman so I'm not sure on how being best friends with a guy like that impacts your couple relationships?

One of my best friends is a girl. She's awesome and hot and we get on really well, but I genuinely see her more like a sister. We met by dating at first actually, but that didn't fit but we always just got on really well, just nothing sexual there.

My gf is totally cool with it. I still keep in contact with a lot of my exes and we've all moved on, but that doesn't mean we don't still enjoy each other's company.

aphelionix

I wouldn't let it bug you. It's no one's business what you and your best friend are. Just kindly correct anyone that says otherwise, and move on with your day. (If they make a big deal, then just remind them that it's not their concern. :P) I think it's great that a guy and girl can be best friends and nothing more. Friendship is underrated in general, I think.

Lifting_chick

We have been really close friends for several years and our kids kinda got the hole thing of BFF started. We have fun and our kids are the same ages and they are best friends too. So alot of our friendship started out because of the kids, I have tried setting him up with girlfriends but he doesn't want a relationship....he had a really bad divorce and his X is a major crazy.

nerdyandilikeit

haha my oldest best friend from age 10 til recently is a guy.. everyone always thought we were a couple, my boyfriends and his girlfriends growing up seemed to have a complex about it at times.. His current gf doesn't like me and hasn't even ever hung out with me.. we don't see each other as much anymore and it's pretty sad.. but yeah.. everyone thought we were a couple and we didn't hold hands or kiss or any of that.. just the fact we were always together... I stopped some kids from bullying him when we were in elementary school ( I was little but scrappy) and from that point on we were friends.

YOU'RE HIS HERMIONE! Was it a troll from the dungeon?! Hahaha.

QueenJayJay

Why do people think peanut butter and jelly make a good sandwich?