Can Men And Women Just Be Friends?

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Today I want to answer an age-old question...

Can men and women just be friends?

...And explore some of the implications my answer has on relationships (as well as a fun test you can take to find out!).

[perfumaphilia]

Being friends with someone you're attracted to can always lead to feelings developing, on one or both sides. You need to accept that as a reality and proceed with caution.

[lindat.]

Loyalty is such an underappreciated quality.

[Emily-smsh]

I totally agree with Matthew! We choose friends BECAUSE we are attracted to them!

[candyxoxo]

"The'yre sticking around because of loyalty and not because they are not attracted to others"

[SOARinLove]

Thank you Matthew! That was a very different and detailed way of explaining that men and women can be friends. If the persons are willing to just be friends, Loyalty wins not attraction.  People must keep boundaries in mind.

[sharonstyle]

While attraction leads to friendship, friendship leads to a closer friendship. When you start emotionally investing in the person other than your partner, you start moving into vulnerable territory. Why would you want to put yourself in that situation? I say no, men and women cannot be friends. Perhaps I just haven't found the right male friends, but do I need them at this point of my life...?

[lwontherez]

I think ONE reason there are so many relationship breakups these days is because MOST people don't know "where" the line is...that changes a relationship from "friend" category to "...more." They may not be thinking that an emotional connection between "friends" of the opposite sex can be more damaging to the other, committed relationship than (sometimes) even the physical betrayal.

[skadi]

FINALLY some randomly talking Youtuber worthy subscribing, even switching off my Adblock. Thanks.

[picturethis]

More often than not.. their friend is their Plan B if the current relationship doesn't work out.

[SuperShafster]

Answer is NO, unless the guy is not attracted WHATSOEVER to the girl, in which case the guy probably wouldn't bother associating with the girl lol

[gymrachel]

Absolutely not from my experience. One of the two will always want more at some point. Every friendship I've had with guys I've at some point been hit upon. And that film When Harry Net Sally pretty much sums this up!

[toonicetobeunreal]

Maybe it's a personal thing, but even when I am attracted by someone's mind, if I am not physically attracted, I just can't go further but to be friends...

[nenitajones]

I was dating  for this man for over a yr, on and off, he was been telling me that he was just a friend to this married  women, but I found out  they were sleeping  together, lol   But he said he choice me to be with him,   I think  he was pathetic, so I just lefted and walked away !!!

[chusty]

Yes. Some of my best friends are women actually. People assume that if there's attraction then the friendship has hidden reasons, but that's not true. You can choose not to act, because you value the friendship as it is, or because you're loyal to your couple if you have one. Not to mention that all of this is in case that there's attraction, because you can be friends with the opposite sex and also have no attraction.

[glasshalffull]

Amen!!! You nailed it! Just because people are attracted to each other doesn't mean they are going to act on it. If they do, there are issues in their relationship(s) that go way beyond whether or not they are attracted to their friends.
...married for 17 happy yrs and counting :)

[PriscillaNamalwa]

Once I also had a guy best friend who had other best female friends. But I quickly noticed he would hang out mostly with the top hot girls as his best friends. He years later told me he wanted me as his girlfriend, feelings became mutual and we dated for months. He confessed he had always had a crush on me.

[chekkygurl]

A strong no for me in my experiences. It's easier for me to make friends with males at the start but as soon as you build a closer rapport they always end up saying or doing something inappropriate / suggestive/ try to hit on you. So YES you can be friends with a man to very surface level and as long as you are with other friends around this person but the more one on one time and closer you get it seems like human nature takes over. I agree with the exceptions of whether or not someone is sexually active but then again someone who wasn't still is capable to say some awkward things.

[kbschannel]

Having friends of the opposite sex isn't impossible, and you can still be loyal, but it makes falling much easier

[helenahayes]

In my experience women can be "just friends" but its not the same for the majority of men. I have had my heart broken too many times making this assumption. Either he went off with the woman he was supposedly just friends with. Or he really wanted more than to be "just friends" with me, and I ended up being used and then dumped.

Very sadly I had a good male friend who I hung out with every day at University. I was so shocked when he wanted more, and I reluctantly gave it to him. I was dumped shortly after when he met the woman of his dreams. A year later he is still arguing with me insisting WE ARE FRIENDS and doesnt get it that I need to repair myself after that sense of betrayal. Just being friends with a guy is very risky and I think a fairy-tale that women like to believe.

[sirensexy]

Hi, i’m a new subscriber. I agree, mostly, with with the loyalty, but chances are, somewhere along the way the friendship grows and it’ll get harder to resist. Especially if you under the influence of substances. I think the only way to be friends is if you respect the other person and their mate enough to where you abstain from even trying to get close on a physical level, i.e. hugs, playful shoves, touching. It is very easy to catch feelings. But even then, most people don’t think they’re doing anything wrong when they’re flirting. They see it as just being friendly  and being playful. So it would take monstrous restraint. And who wants to feel seriously attracted but not be able to touch? No one. So, it is possible. But if both are single or one doesn’t respect anothers’ bond, it’s bound to happen down the line.