Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Stories
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Stories
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
No Result
View All Result
5 Rules Of Breaking Up You Should Know If You Want To End Your Relationship

Image from https://hellobeautiful.com/2800476/dating-your-best-friend/

Can A Man And Woman Have A Platonic Friendship?

Maureen Rita by Maureen Rita
15 April 2020
in Friendship
Reading Time: 4 mins read
248 2
0
300
SHARES
1.7k
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterWhatsApp

They are good listeners. You probably have visible chemistry with each other. Your interests match so it’s very easy to have a conversation with them. It also helps that you have known them for years so you have bonded over the changes in life and your friendship has stood the test of time. However, nothing more has ever happened between you. You have not been physically intimate with them because your friendship is platonic. They are ‘just friends.’

We all have that one person in our lives that other people often think there’s more to your friendship but you are just platonic friends. The question of whether people of different sexes can be just friends has been asked over and over again. The person could be attractive, funny and with many desirable traits but they are in the friend zone because you are not interested in them like that.

On the other hand, it is possible that you probably find them attractive but you decide to keep the relationship platonic. This becomes the person you talk to when your significant other frustrates you because we all need an outlet. They know you so well that confiding in them is very easy. In the course of your interactions because you are still humans, sometimes there’s sexual tension but you manage to handle it without crossing that line. Given the dynamics of male and female interactions is it possible to have a platonic friendship with a person of the opposite gender?

Multiple studies conducted show that even though friends of opposite sexes can be friends one of them or both have been sexually attracted to the other person at some point. Often it was the man who found the women attractive. Since the man finds the woman attractive they also tend to overestimate how attractive the woman finds them. On the other hand, women underestimate how attractive men find them because they are not interested in them sexually.

The majority of the people with platonic friendships have had a crush on their friends at one point. It probably started as a crush and then they got friend-zoned and became very good friends. Interestingly, many of the people interviewed were glad about the turn of events. The friendships have served them more than any other kind of relationship would have.

Platonic friendships can be difficult to maintain especially if you are dating or in a marriage. However, here are a few ways to make them work.

  1. Set boundaries

This is the cardinal rule of successful platonic friendships. Some of the boundaries are unsaid but you have to consciously set boundaries. Avoid sexual innuendos of any form whether it is a joke or messages. Avoid situations that could lead to poor decisions. For example, if you hang out together avoid situations that could lead to physical intimacy.

  1. Communicate openly

Communication is key in all relationships but it’s a key component of successful platonic relationships. If you are dating then communicating about your friendship also extends to your partner. If you are dating often your partner might feel jealous of your friend. Jealousy stems from fear. Perhaps your partner fears that there’s more between you two.

To avoid misunderstandings be open about your friendship. Let your partner know when you hang out with your friend. Let them know of your boundaries both verbally and through actions. On the other hand, as friends communicate openly. It’s possible that you could have other intentions with the friendship. Make your feelings and intentions clear to the other person so that you can manage expectations.

Verdict

It is possible for men and women to have a platonic friendship but it’s can be difficult. It becomes difficult if one person has feelings for the other person. However, over time when you get to know each other, you form a deeper connection that supersedes the need for physical intimacy. If you are dating or married, however, you might have to give up these friendships for the sake of your relationships with your partners because very few are comfortable with this idea.

How To Maintain Strong And Lasting Friendships

The Importance Of Female Friendships

Relationships: 6 Ways To Get Over A Friendship Heartbreak

My Best Friend Fell For Me And Now Our Relationship Is Ruined

Share120Tweet75SendShare21Pin27
Previous Post

Reasons Why It Is Easy To Scam Millennials

Next Post

5 Ways You Can Use Vinegar To Clean Around The House

Maureen Rita

Maureen Rita

Maureen Rita is a writer, creative, and poet whose bylined work delves into issues affecting women, relationships, and wellness, exploring the complexities of human experiences and challenging societal norms. She also has extensive ghostwriting experience for lifestyle brands, tech service providers, and law firms, crafting web content, legal articles, product reviews, and service pages. Beyond her professional endeavours, Maureen enjoys discovering African music, films, and art, which inspire her creative journey. Check out her portfolio to explore more of her work.

Next Post
5 Ways You Can Use Vinegar To Clean Around The House

5 Ways You Can Use Vinegar To Clean Around The House

Please login to join discussion

Recommended

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2018 Launched In Kenya

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2018 Launched In Kenya

21 May 2018
1.4k
The Singlehood Series: My Friend Set Me Up With Her Tinder Date’s Roommate

The Singlehood Series: My Friend Set Me Up With Her Tinder Date’s Roommate

10 March 2023
503

Popular Stories

  • The Singlehood Series: She Asked Me To Pay Her Rent And Child’s School Fees On The First Date

    She Told Me She Was Falling In Love, Two Hours Into Our First Date. What Followed Was A Crash Course In Love Bombing

    3 shares
    Share 1 Tweet 1
  • A Web Of Lies, A Hidden Life, And The Moment It All Came Crashing Down – Part 1

    73 shares
    Share 29 Tweet 18
  • The Singlehood Series: He Arranged For A First Date Outside Our City Without Checking With Me First

    10 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • The Singlehood Series: I Broke Up With Him Because He Had Foot Odour

    352 shares
    Share 141 Tweet 88
  • An Uber Driver Ruined My Relationship

    634 shares
    Share 254 Tweet 159

Potentash Blog

Potentash is an award-winning lifestyle blog. We publish lifestyle content that intersects with health, women, beauty, travel, business, relationships, finances and entertainment.

Explore

  • The Singlehood Series
  • From Stairs To Ramps
  • Man Around Nairobi
  • Pearls And Heels
  • Personal Finance
  • Food + Beverage
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Reviews

Get the Potentash Newsletter

  • Newsletter Archive
  • Subscribe
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Stories
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books

Copyright © 2023. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima