Can men and women be "just friends"?

I'm not attracted to every single man on the planet, why assume that just because a man and a woman are friends that they're going to be attracted to each other? And even if there's a slight degree of physical attraction, it doesn't mean that anything is going to come of it. I'm married so if I find another guy attractive that's as far as it's going to get, i.e. me thinking he's attractive and leaving it at that because I respect my husband and my marriage, but that doesn't mean I can't be friends with the guy. If someone starts hitting on me even though they know I'm married, that would be the end of the friendship, because it shows a lack of respect.

But in most cases of male and female friends, they're simply not attracted to each other in that way. In my life I've had loads of male friends, most of them I was not attracted to, or if they were attractive they were off limits (e.g. friend's boyfriend/husband) or not attracted to me, and if you can't keep it in your pants when you find someone attractive but they're off limits then how are you ever going to have a serious relationship? Because even after you are married or in a long term committed relationship you're going to have to interact with attractive people. So really this idea that a man and woman can't be just friends IMO comes from quite an immature attitude.

Of course. I have several male friends that are "just friends."

Like 90% of my friends are male, just get on with guys better to much hassle having female friends (most of the time) too *****y and argumentive ..... But i do get on with some nice women

I have more guy friends then I do chick friends. It’s always been that way, all the way back to elementary school. So yes. but also it depends on the guy and girl that’s being referred to. With me I've always been considered as "one of the guys" or “the younger sister”. So I don’t think anything different of it. But for me trying to have a chick friend is hard. It’s difficult for me to find a subject to discuss and a lot of times if she’s cute I’ll get nervous and my mind blanks and I have to watch what I say so I don’t offend her or look like a idiot..

I'm not attracted to every single man on the planet, why assume that just because a man and a woman are friends that they're going to be attracted to each other? And even if there's a slight degree of physical attraction, it doesn't mean that anything is going to come of it. I'm married so if I find another guy attractive that's as far as it's going to get, i.e. me thinking he's attractive and leaving it at that because I respect my husband and my marriage, but that doesn't mean I can't be friends with the guy. If someone starts hitting on me even though they know I'm married, that would be the end of the friendship, because it shows a lack of respect.

But in most cases of male and female friends, they're simply not attracted to each other in that way. In my life I've had loads of male friends, most of them I was not attracted to, or if they were attractive they were off limits (e.g. friend's boyfriend/husband) or not attracted to me, and if you can't keep it in your pants when you find someone attractive but they're off limits then how are you ever going to have a serious relationship? Because even after you are married or in a long term committed relationship you're going to have to interact with attractive people. So really this idea that a man and woman can't be just friends IMO comes from quite an immature attitude.

^^^Totally agree with this!!! and 99% of my friends are men ! Sry ladies :P !!

and I have some of ladies friends on MFP and they are awesome!

Of course. The assumption that they can't assumes that 1. Everyone is straight and 2. Men are horny idiots who literally want to have sex with every woman. Both of those things are false.

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Can I get along with a men without being attracted to him? Hell yes.
Maybe I'm strange, but I can get along with more people than feel attraction towards. :laugh: So I find it easier to just be friend than to do more... Or I'm just too picky on what I find attractive. I can't say what the `manly` part thinks about it.

Althought I must say that my best frienships with men wore those with men who have sisters. I have a brother and the friendships were pretty similar. Maybe that the secret, seeing the other person as a sibling.
Brotherzone all the way!!! :drinker: But I wished I had a genuine friendship with a men... like not a `brother with another mom`. Sometimes I hate being treated as someone elses bigger or youngest sister. :laugh:

Anyone ever heard of the Ladder Theory? Truth, my friends. Truth. My answer to the question (and from my own personal experience) is: almost always NO.

I'm not allowed to be friends with anyone that's more attractive than my wife. She insists that all my lady friends be ugly or overweight. That makes life easy for me I guess.

HAHA that sounds lik me.... Its just insecurity, handle with care:)

Generally speaking, yes, but let's look into it a bit more. Are you wondering about a heterosexual man and heterosexual woman being friends? This is definitely possible. However, if there is one party that is attracted to the other or if both are attracted to each other the friendship might be awkward or perhaps develop into something more, but that doesn't devalue the initial friendship.

Depends if the other party is ugly or not.

What sort of friend? Best friend to hetrosexual man? Hmmmm
It can work provided you and your friend's other halves understand which usually is not the case.
:bigsmile:

Sure! I get along better with men than I ever did with women. Men are very cut and dry, no guessing which I really like.
Women are too insecure for the most part. I do have two women that are my besties, but men, they are awesome.

This... I have 3 women who I am close to. But I get alone better with men. There is just no BS when it comes to being friends with them.

Of course they can. I have more female friends than male friends and no issues at all. One of my best friends is female and she is also my weight lifting partner, we see each other every week day in the gym to workout and we do other things such as have coffee together but it's no different to any other friend male or female.

I think men and women can be friends if the expectations don't go beyond that premise. Often when deep feelings become involved the relationship changes...in my opinion.

This definitely!