Can Men and Women Be 'merely Friends' ?

A penny for your thoughts.

Yes.

Posted by tiziani
When you use the word "merely" it's a bit of a betrayal of thoughts (smirk)

Ay Tiz, your Twin Lunars are over - thinking matters. Tsk Tsk. 😛

Yeah I have plenty of guy friends. Idk what's going on in their heads but we can talk, pretend flirt with each other, advise one another, and are there for one another when we need it. Nothing sexual at all.
But it's different when we're talking about exes just being friends. I don't believe that shyt.

Where would your boundaries be, between keeping a (wo)man as friends and as more?

Absolutely! The majority of my friends are guys.

How are we defining "friends" here?

A female co-worker that you joke around with, and innocently chit-chat with at work -- nothing more? Then YES.

Your buddies wife that you hang around often -- in the company of her husband? Yes

Your neighbor that you catch in the driveway and gossip about other neighbors, and admire each others flower beds? Yes.

Something other than one of the the above? I say no (for me).

Am I going to call a girl 'friend' if I score 2 tickets to the big game? NO

Will I call my girl 'friend' to go fishing? NO

If a girl calls me to go catch the sale at Macy's and shop at the mall, will I go? NO.

Will I pick up the phone and lay my troubles off a my girl 'friend', or vice versa? NO.

I guess it depends on the person.

I'd say no cause one always ends up falling for the other.

Posted by CapTenn
How are we defining "friends" here?

A female co-worker that you joke around with, and innocently chit-chat with at work -- nothing more? Then YES.

Your buddies wife that you hang around often -- in the company of her husband? Yes

Your neighbor that you catch in the driveway and gossip about other neighbors, and admire each others flower beds? Yes.

Something other than one of the the above? I say no (for me).

Am I going to call a girl 'friend' if I score 2 tickets to the big game? NO

Will I call my girl 'friend' to go fishing? NO

If a girl calls me to go catch the sale at Macy's and shop at the mall, will I go? NO.

Will I pick up the phone and lay my troubles off a my girl 'friend', or vice versa? NO.

Goat men always know their boundaries more so than certain other men, admirable.

[grand applause]

Wow, I did something right? ^^^

Thanks, LadyScorp.

Posted by Feistypisces777
Yeah I have plenty of guy friends. Idk what's going on in their heads but we can talk, pretend flirt with each other, advise one another, and are there for one another when we need it. Nothing sexual at all.

Ah but see, that's a way of disarming the sexual tension, even if it is "playful". You won't see 'pretend flirting' between that many guys , let's put it that way.

There are exceptions to the rule but there will always be one party willing to take it a step further given the oppurtunity. And not necesserily the male. Gotta watch out for the females these days aswell 😛

Yes.
I got the quiet dominance vibe going that repels some, then I say I'm not dating my age group for shit.

Problem solved. 😄

No

I tried that it doesn't work

I'm a firm believer that 'friends only' relationships between the male and female genders are more than possible so long as the people in question are capable of thinking with other body parts than their loins. Some of my closest friendships are with males. To some extent I think I actually prefer them lol.

Posted by TheLadyScorpio
Where would your boundaries be, between keeping a (wo)man as friends and as more?

This feels like a bit of a trick question to me. If boundaries are necessarily required to prevent "mere" friendship from progressing into something else then it doesn't sound like a natural friendship to begin with.

To answer the question though, no flirting. No physical contact beyond the traditional handshakes, claps on the back or loosely embraced two-second hugs that would normally be shared among mates. No sleeping together, literally or figuratively. Basically, if two solidly heterosexual males wouldn't be entirely comfortable doing it together, it's probably out of bounds.

Posted by CapTenn
How are we defining "friends" here?

A female co-worker that you joke around with, and innocently chit-chat with at work -- nothing more? Then YES.

Your buddies wife that you hang around often -- in the company of her husband? Yes

Your neighbor that you catch in the driveway and gossip about other neighbors, and admire each others flower beds? Yes.

Something other than one of the the above? I say no (for me).

Am I going to call a girl 'friend' if I score 2 tickets to the big game? NO

Will I call my girl 'friend' to go fishing? NO

If a girl calls me to go catch the sale at Macy's and shop at the mall, will I go? NO.

Will I pick up the phone and lay my troubles off a my girl 'friend', or vice versa? NO.

Wanna catch a movie? 😉

Posted by aquapiscescusp

Posted by CapTenn
How are we defining "friends" here?

A female co-worker that you joke around with, and innocently chit-chat with at work -- nothing more? Then YES.

Your buddies wife that you hang around often -- in the company of her husband? Yes

Your neighbor that you catch in the driveway and gossip about other neighbors, and admire each others flower beds? Yes.

Something other than one of the the above? I say no (for me).

Am I going to call a girl 'friend' if I score 2 tickets to the big game? NO

Will I call my girl 'friend' to go fishing? NO

If a girl calls me to go catch the sale at Macy's and shop at the mall, will I go? NO.

Will I pick up the phone and lay my troubles off a my girl 'friend', or vice versa? NO.

Wanna catch a movie? 😉

click to expand

Not if you have a hubby or BF... 😉

Yes but she can't be attractive.

Yes as long as he has a small penis, lol.

(if we are all grown up...)

if not..roll again?

Yes but guys always want more than they blAme you for wanting more to hide the fact that you both want more.. My story and I am sticking to it

Posted by Librapride18
Yes as long as he has a small penis, lol.

lol

Posted by virgowithasoul

Posted by Librapride18
Yes as long as he has a small penis, lol.

lol

click to expand

Lol they can I would prefer my friend not to come around me with a Mandingo tho that would entice me...then I would have to be a bad girl #ririlyfe 🙂

I agree clueless cancer! 🙂 men always thankin with they stinky....#ookillem

Cause this topic hasn't been done 58935 times before on DXP. :/

Only if there is no sexual attraction.

Well I bloody well hope men and women can merely be friends because if they can't then wouldn't we be in a whole lotta shit?

Posted by CapTenn

Posted by aquapiscescusp

Posted by CapTenn
How are we defining "friends" here?

A female co-worker that you joke around with, and innocently chit-chat with at work -- nothing more? Then YES.

Your buddies wife that you hang around often -- in the company of her husband? Yes

Your neighbor that you catch in the driveway and gossip about other neighbors, and admire each others flower beds? Yes.

Something other than one of the the above? I say no (for me).

Am I going to call a girl 'friend' if I score 2 tickets to the big game? NO

Will I call my girl 'friend' to go fishing? NO

If a girl calls me to go catch the sale at Macy's and shop at the mall, will I go? NO.

Will I pick up the phone and lay my troubles off a my girl 'friend', or vice versa? NO.

Wanna catch a movie? 😉

Not if you have a hubby or BF... 😉

click to expand

— pffttt details

Posted by rockyroadicecream
Cause this topic hasn't been done 58935 times before on DXP. :/

Lol hell yeah.. When I read it I was like "nooooooooooooooooooo...!"

Never could i have a woman as a close friend..only as associates..anything more will eventually lead to sexual deviousness

Posted by size zero superhero
thirsty men & women can't be friends, for their dehydration will inevitably worsen & take over.

LMAO! So very true!! It's all about thirst!!! Whoever is thirsty will catch feelings easily and down goes the friendship.

Posted by size zero superhero

Posted by aquarius09

Posted by size zero superhero
thirsty men & women can't be friends, for their dehydration will inevitably worsen & take over.

LMAO! So very true!! It's all about thirst!!! Whoever is thirsty will catch feelings easily and down goes the friendship.

I agree. Some folks are trying to frame their side of it like if they're friends with someone of the opposite sex, ultimately the other person wouldn't be able to resist their appeal or vice-versa (especially if one or both parties are attractive). I'm not fooled by those claims 😛

Single men that lack platonic female friends actually have less overall access to new women they can meet by way of pre-existing friendships with girls. Befriending girls means the guy inevitably gets introduced to HER single female friends through her.
Thought that much was already obvious, but...

click to expand

Yeah. Im not fooled by those claims either. In fact they irk me. In sync with your thoughts.

I also feel that if you are attracted to the woman/man friend in question physically or emotionally, that's not a friendship from a guy's standpoint more than the girl's because men are visual creatures.