Can men and women maintain a platonic relationship?

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Replies

  • I've got no problems with it. I have no issues controlling myself. I can't speak for anyone else. I base my friendships on personality, not gender.

    tumblr_lud6bmHCLs1qeypwyo2_500.gif

    You know what.....I'm changing my answer. Totally not possible.

    STAAAHHPP yer makin me swooon..

    866939.gif

    There's another gif that belongs in this sequence that is completely strike worthy.
  • George_Baileys_Ghost
    George_Baileys_Ghost Posts: 1,524 Member
    I've got no problems with it. I have no issues controlling myself. I can't speak for anyone else. I base my friendships on personality, not gender.

    tumblr_lud6bmHCLs1qeypwyo2_500.gif

    You know what.....I'm changing my answer. Totally not possible.

    STAAAHHPP yer makin me swooon..

    866939.gif

    There's another gif that belongs in this sequence that is completely strike worthy.

    I have an inbox, you have an inbox....I also just drank a Gatorade....*exaggerated wink*
  • p8liwag
    p8liwag Posts: 919 Member
    Absolutely! I enjoyed hanging out with the guys, I get no special treatment and I can run with the boys any day...We consider our relationship as Friends without benefits lolz
  • I've got no problems with it. I have no issues controlling myself. I can't speak for anyone else. I base my friendships on personality, not gender.

    tumblr_lud6bmHCLs1qeypwyo2_500.gif

    You know what.....I'm changing my answer. Totally not possible.

    STAAAHHPP yer makin me swooon..

    866939.gif

    There's another gif that belongs in this sequence that is completely strike worthy.

    I have an inbox, you have an inbox....I also just drank a Gatorade....*exaggerated wink*

    giphy.gif
  • Joannah700
    Joannah700 Posts: 2,665 Member
    My vote? It depends on the intent of the person. I believe that men and women can be friends - but I think both must have the intent to be friends, and not have ulterior motives to transition to something more.

    People have self-control. They also know if an attraction to a person is too strong for it to pass the friend boundary.

    I like guy friends, but like others on here I have been burned more than a few times in the past when a guy I become close to - decides he wants to pursue a romantic relationship with me and I'm not feeling it. You end up losing that person and all their popsicle jokes...
  • naturesfinest4688
    naturesfinest4688 Posts: 117 Member
    sure if neither one cheats...lol
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    So just curious on what the general consensus is here. I strongly believe it can be done. I've done it on many occasions and feel a platonic relationship can exist between a man and woman.

    Yes, only the ugly ones.
  • It can be done, sure
  • Rochelle951
    Rochelle951 Posts: 1,389 Member
    As long as there is no sexual attraction.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    So just curious on what the general consensus is here. I strongly believe it can be done. I've done it on many occasions and feel a platonic relationship can exist between a man and woman.


    Yes, I have many platonic relationships with men. Sometimes some of them are more challenging than others. But they are still doable.
  • MuscleHeadNerd74
    MuscleHeadNerd74 Posts: 1,930 Member
    possible , yes but didn't work for me my best friend seduce me she said i was irresistible, **** i didn't do anything, but wasn't going to turn it down either, I mean I am a man, you can only resisit some much
  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
    Possible? Yes

    Probable? No

    In my experience, in this type of relationship atleast one of the two want it to be more..Usually the guy, but not always. They may set boundries or maybe one is shy and never makes the move. But in time, a pass will be made...how that is received and dealt with will set the tone for the friendship.
  • donald149
    donald149 Posts: 211 Member
    100% agreed with above. Possible - yes, probable - no.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Honestly, no.

    i have plenty of male colleagues and aquaintences, but they're not really friends. i would say i am 'friends' with my husbands mates, but if we every split up i doubt i'd stay in contact with any of them so they're not real freinds as such.

    and of my actual male friends i either want or have wanted to bang them at some point since i met them, or they want to bang me...
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
    Haven't read any of the other responses… this is in response to the OP only: Yes. Absolutely. Without question.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    I've had platonic friendships with men for decades. There's never been an issue.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    If not, then I'm in a lot of trouble. As a women pursuing an engineering/computer science degree, most of my friends are male.

    My daughter is in the same boat. She is a honors scholar at UNCG studying physics Her goal is nuclear physics. But I assured her that at least a couple of those guys she hags out with wish it could be more. What's not to like. She loves sci-fi fantasy, Lord of The Rings, Hobbit, Anime, Archery, motorcycles, and soon, shooting.

    Nice guys get friend zone. A-holes get laid. (Though this is not universally true.)
  • mrfreestyle
    mrfreestyle Posts: 1,293 Member
    Possible? Yes

    Probable? No

    In my experience, in this type of relationship atleast one of the two want it to be more..Usually the guy, but not always. They may set boundries or maybe one is shy and never makes the move. But in time, a pass will be made...how that is received and dealt with will set the tone for the friendship.

    You practically read me. From personal experience, I put it as both yes and no. I met a girl a few weeks ago who I could have had a platonic friendship with. But no, instead I ended up wanting it to be a bit more than that. She turned me down. I was disappointed of course but I respect her choice. We meet every Tuesday for a time trial run. So it will be interesting to see if we can still be friends after this. If we do still manage to stay friends, then the answer to OP's is yes. If not, then it's a no. I'm personally more than willing to stay friends so if the friendship element doesn’t work, it will be on her part not mine. Just saying.
  • assthetik
    assthetik Posts: 3,639 Member
    If i find them attractive, no i cant keep it in my pants
    And If i dont find them attractive, there will still come a point when i would start finding them attractive if we keep hanging out regularly, so again no!(its called the mermaid theory i think)
  • It is highly dependent on who you are, but for me it really depends. My motto is "If I feel uncomfortable with my husband doing this, I won't do it".

    I don't feel comfortable being *close* friends with single men. Acquaintances, sure. Pleasantries exchanged, of course. Going out for coffee/ texting conversations/ calling just to talk, NOOOooo. If the guy is married, I feel more comfortable, because I know that intentions are, for the most part (with every "guy" friend I have had this far) completely pure and platonic. Even then, I will only meet with them socially with their wife or my husband there. Never do I call/text/private message unless it's to set up double dates or answer simple work related questions.

    Maybe I am a little more conservative than most people, but I never want to give my husband a reason to question my fidelity to him ever. I just love him so much it would break my heart to see him struggle. Again, everyone is different, and you do what works for you. The answer to this question will vary a lot, I think, if you are in a committed relationship.
  • yes its 2014...
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    Possible? Yes

    Probable? No

    In my experience, in this type of relationship atleast one of the two want it to be more..Usually the guy, but not always. They may set boundries or maybe one is shy and never makes the move. But in time, a pass will be made...how that is received and dealt with will set the tone for the friendship.

    Same. I have a lot of trouble doing this. Usually I want to just be friends, but the guy wants more, even if it's just sex and not a relationship. Usually, if I want sex, the guy is at least down for that, as long as he's single. I don't mess with guys in relationships.

    Oh, and often (not always), once the guy figures out he's not getting anything more than friendship, he's gone. Which I think is pretty sh**ty...but at least I find out quickly and can cut my losses.
  • smetka01
    smetka01 Posts: 99 Member
    If not, then I'm in a lot of trouble. As a women pursuing an engineering/computer science degree, most of my friends are male.

    Same with me. I work in a team with 9 males. Most of them are married and with kids, I am also in relationship. Nothing more between us then platonic relationship. But then again I cannot say we are friends. We get along, hang together during job time, have fun but nothing more after those 8 hours pass.

    Being very good friend with male and spending a lot time together, this could bring trouble. Trying to stay out of this :)
  • No, they bloody well can´t! I thought so, until the **** realized I had a boyfriend and now he won't talk to me, he barely says hi when we bump into each other. I am heartbroken, because I really liked him and thought we were going to be great friends. As long as I was ****able I was okay to talk to. Am I nothing more than a cum receptacle?


    Okay, ranting over.

    I have male friends, both single and in a relationship, and as long as their partners are fine with it (mine always is) there's no problem.
  • runforestrun35
    runforestrun35 Posts: 480 Member
    I have male friends that I grew up with that are brothers to me... My hubs is fine with it. ????
  • Whagwan83
    Whagwan83 Posts: 81 Member
    Got some female friends who are like sisters, others who are just friends. I've always hung around in mixed sex groups so find it weird that some people don't!
  • Misshodge64
    Misshodge64 Posts: 8,588 Member
    Honestly it really depends on age, I noticed that older couples usually don't have platonic relationships as much as the younger generation.
  • mrfreestyle
    mrfreestyle Posts: 1,293 Member
    Possible? Yes

    Probable? No

    In my experience, in this type of relationship atleast one of the two want it to be more..Usually the guy, but not always. They may set boundries or maybe one is shy and never makes the move. But in time, a pass will be made...how that is received and dealt with will set the tone for the friendship.

    Same. I have a lot of trouble doing this. Usually I want to just be friends, but the guy wants more, even if it's just sex and not a relationship. Usually, if I want sex, the guy is at least down for that, as long as he's single. I don't mess with guys in relationships.

    Oh, and often (not always), once the guy figures out he's not getting anything more than friendship, he's gone. Which I think is pretty sh**ty...but at least I find out quickly and can cut my losses.

    But then what if it's the woman who wants nothing to do with the guy after she turns him down. I know that happens a lot. It hasn't happened to me yet, although I have a feeling it's about to. But you do have cases like that where the guy is the one who is still open to being friends but it's the woman who wants nothing to do with him.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    Possible? Yes

    Probable? No

    In my experience, in this type of relationship atleast one of the two want it to be more..Usually the guy, but not always. They may set boundries or maybe one is shy and never makes the move. But in time, a pass will be made...how that is received and dealt with will set the tone for the friendship.

    Same. I have a lot of trouble doing this. Usually I want to just be friends, but the guy wants more, even if it's just sex and not a relationship. Usually, if I want sex, the guy is at least down for that, as long as he's single. I don't mess with guys in relationships.

    Oh, and often (not always), once the guy figures out he's not getting anything more than friendship, he's gone. Which I think is pretty sh**ty...but at least I find out quickly and can cut my losses.

    But then what if it's the woman who wants nothing to do with the guy after she turns him down. I know that happens a lot. It hasn't happened to me yet, although I have a feeling it's about to. But you do have cases like that where the guy is the one who is still open to being friends but it's the woman who wants nothing to do with him.

    Sure, it works both ways. But if the girl just wanted to be friends in the first place, I'm not sure why she would do that, except for just feeling too awkward. Anyway, I've never done that in the same situation. As long as the guy is decent, and doesn't keep trying to get closer, I'm fine with staying friends. If he keeps pressuring me, however, that's a different story.
  • Absolutely Some of my best friends are girls..