Why do people say men and women can't be platonic friends?
Replies
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Just doing a bit of reading in my down time at work, and came across a "study" apparently proving that men and women cannot be just friends. But it doesn't actually suggest that men and women can’t be friends; nor does it seem it was ever the researchers’ objective to prove it.
I don't understand this collection of sentences together.
So there is a study a third party is proclaiming to prove that men and women cannot be friends even though the study doesn't suggest that and that wasn't the goal of the study? or are the people who did the study proclaiming it?0 -
It really depends on how the two individuals deal with any sexual attraction/tension that may arise. I am not good at dealing with it in an ethical manner given that I'm married. I'd have to agree that men and women don't generally make good platonic friends unless they're enjoying the said tension/attraction and can deal with it in a way that both are comfortanle with.0
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I can be friends with women.
If they're attractive I'll probably want to sleep with them.
If they're not attractive then I probably won't.
I just assumed that's how it works for you ladies as well . . .
That's EXACTLY how it works for us!!!
I completely agree with you0 -
...........You can not have a man friend as a platonic friend.
If you have a friend there is a reason for it and male/female is because of an attraction/physical/sexual
If female/female it is because of empathy/attraction/physical/envy and sometimes sexual.
This is the short version
Negative, ghost rider.0 -
Just doing a bit of reading in my down time at work, and came across a "study" apparently proving that men and women cannot be just friends. But it doesn't actually suggest that men and women can’t be friends; nor does it seem it was ever the researchers’ objective to prove it. It looks like they set out to show that experiences reflect men’s short-term sexual desires relative to women’s - which is something rather different. I would like to get opinions from both men and women on this.
In my opinion, I do think that men and women can sustain a platonic relationship. There may be some attraction, but that doesn't mean that they are unable to maintain fulfilling and non-sexual relationships. Friendship itself can vary from person to person, incorporating everything from a best friend since grade school to someone you once drunkenly kissed at a party. Sexual attraction may add an extra dynamic to friendships between men and women, and could also lead to occasional problems. But stop to think... seeing it as some sort of friendship ultimatum would make for a lot of lonely people.
Again, I'm just looking for personal opinions.
I have a lot of male friends. And we're not sexually attracted to each other.0 -
Ehh... It's a hard one. Honestly though, I've noticed that 90% of the ones who actually believe that men and women can be platonic friends are Women. Men, for the most part, know the truth. We know how we think, and we know just how very little it takes to completely change the way we look at a woman "friend." It may just be something as silly or simple as the way that she smiled or said something that day that completely changes the way you see her from then on out, even if we originally did not find them attractive. Sorry ladies..blame the testosterone.
Women on the other hand seem to have no problem, for the most part, being strictly friends with a man. I won't sit here an act like I, or any other man, will ever understand the female psyche, but I would say it is exponentially easier for a woman to remain having strictly platonic feelings for a male friend.
Just my 2 cents.0 -
That's nonsense. Men and women can be friends. They have to be first. How else are they gonna get close enough to unzip one anothers pants. *smh*0
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You can not have a man friend as a platonic friend.
If you have a friend there is a reason for it and male/female is because of an attraction/physical/sexual
If female/female it is because of empathy/attraction/physical/envy and sometimes sexual.
This is the short version
It's apparent to me that maybe some of you just haven't found a person that truly GETS you. Not one that wants to sleep with you, but just understands who you are. This type of person can be male or female.0 -
Marriage and platonic friendship, aren't they the same thing?:huh:0
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I can be friends with women.
If they're attractive I'll probably want to sleep with them.
If they're not attractive then I probably won't.
I just assumed that's how it works for you ladies as well . . .
^this0 -
That's nonsense. Men and women can be friends. They have to be first. How else are they gonna get close enough to unzip one anothers pants. *smh*
ha ha well said!0 -
I can be friends with women.
If they're attractive I'll probably want to sleep with them.
If they're not attractive then I probably won't.
I just assumed that's how it works for you ladies as well . . .
That's EXACTLY how it works for us!!!
I completely agree with you
So in summation, if you've been friends with lots of people of the opposite sex for a long time, it means you're unattractive. The end.0 -
You can not have a man friend as a platonic friend.
If you have a friend there is a reason for it and male/female is because of an attraction/physical/sexual
If female/female it is because of empathy/attraction/physical/envy and sometimes sexual.
This is the short version
You're right, I just wanna bang everyone.0 -
That's nonsense. Men and women can be friends. They have to be first. How else are they gonna get close enough to unzip one anothers pants. *smh*
copious amounts of alcohol.0 -
I have lots of guy friends and they don't want to sleep with me. They made that very clear. Painfully clear.
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Ofcourse they can, so long as its platonic on the female side.
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that's bull I have a lot of male friends and we are really just friends and have been for years!!!0
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Ehh... It's a hard one. Honestly though, I've noticed that 90% of the ones who actually believe that men and women can be platonic friends are Women. Men, for the most part, know the truth. We know how we think, and we know just how very little it takes to completely change the way we look at a woman "friend." It may just be something as silly or simple as the way that she smiled or said something that day that completely changes the way you see her from then on out, even if we originally did not find them attractive. Sorry ladies..blame the testosterone.
Women on the other hand seem to have no problem, for the most part, being strictly friends with a man. I won't sit here an act like I, or any other man, will ever understand the female psyche, but I would say it is exponentially easier for a woman to remain having strictly platonic feelings for a male friend.
Just my 2 cents.
Heh, he said hard one. And I beleive you tho' you don't have to start saying "honestly". reminds me of that song which is propably apropo here. "when i think about you...lalala....i honestly do". lalalaa.0 -
I live with my best guy friend and I have bunches of guys friends. We are both straight and completely unattracted to each other----we just end up telling people that we're cousins so we don't get questioned about it ahahaha We've known each other since we were 10 so he's like my brother.0
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OP has never heard of...
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I want to bang everyone on my fl...it shouldn't even be called a friends list, just Matt's bang list. I see where this question is coming from0
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Just doing a bit of reading in my down time at work, and came across a "study" apparently proving that men and women cannot be just friends. But it doesn't actually suggest that men and women can’t be friends; nor does it seem it was ever the researchers’ objective to prove it.
I don't understand this collection of sentences together.
So there is a study a third party is proclaiming to prove that men and women cannot be friends even though the study doesn't suggest that and that wasn't the goal of the study? or are the people who did the study proclaiming it?
My apologies. The research in question looked at cross-sex friendships through the perspective of evolutionary psychology.
They posed questions to individuals in opposite-sex friendships and found that men were more likely to be attracted to their female friends than women were to their male friends, and that men also overestimated their own attractiveness to friends of the opposite sex. A second study then found that most people considered physical attraction to a platonic friend to be a burden rather than a benefit.
So, what they concluded was that men and women just can’t be friends; it’s against science.
Which is ridiculous.0 -
I've got lots of male friends. To my knowledge none holds secret shagtastic intentions. And I certainly have no intention of ever making the beast with two backs with any of them.
Grown ups. It's a good thing.0 -
I want to bang everyone on my fl...it shouldn't even be called a friends list, just Matt's bang list. I see where this question is coming from
this is... ummmm... awkward.
de-friend request incoming.0 -
I want to bang everyone on my fl...it shouldn't even be called a friends list, just Matt's bang list. I see where this question is coming from
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I wonder this myself. I have mostly male friends and very few female friends. As far as I can tell my male friends only think of me as a friend. But who knows. It definitely has happened a few different times where a male friend has confessed his attraction for me. I hope they are not all my friends just because of my boobs :frown:0
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I live with my best guy friend and I have bunches of guys friends. We are both straight and completely unattracted to each other----we just end up telling people that we're cousins so we don't get questioned about it ahahaha We've known each other since we were 10 so he's like my brother.
I live with my worst guy friend who used to be my best guy friend until paleo.0 -
All of you women who believe that you can have male friends who don't want to bang you, ignorance is bliss.0
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I want to bang everyone on my fl...it shouldn't even be called a friends list, just Matt's bang list. I see where this question is coming from
The feeling is mutual.0 -
i have several male friends who have never been anything other than that: friends. it is very likely that either they or i have, at some point in time, been attracted to and entertained the idea of taking things a little further with the other. i think it helps to try to befriend people who you aren't attracted to at all...but that makes me sound shallow.
^THIS^0
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