Friends of the opposite sex: Is it a reality?

Can men and women be just friends? Opinions vary. In many cases, the answer is no. But as with everything in life, there is always an exception to the rule. Men and women cannot be “just” friends because usually one of them desires something more. Those mismatched desires between men and women lead to unequal friend zone situations. Those unfortunate instances are the friendship problems between men and women we often hear.

Of course, friendship between men and women is not impossible. However, it does require finding someone with friendship goals matching your own: clear communication, chemistry, trust.

Men and women think in completely different ways. The ‘programming’ of a man’s brain forces him to start considering his female friend as a possible partner because, in his head, when a girl spends a lot of time with him, she is secretly in love with him. That’s not how women think though. The more a woman spends time with a man she isn’t sleeping with, the more of a friend he becomes to her.

Most of our interactions with the opposite sex are generally based on a possible physical attraction. However, we should think that there’s a whole different side to that opposite sex that we don’t ever see, or really never cared about. Having a male friend is also very interesting and very fun. A male friend is actually a free pass into a man’s psychology and you can learn a lot about guys, as they can guide you through romantic difficulties and breakups and they can be there to speak to you about the male point of view of any subject. Also, men are quite simple creatures which makes the friendship easier.

Think about it: having a male friend is a combination of a female best friend, a Dad and a big brother all rolled into one. They are definitely your comfort, the shoulder to cry on, your protection. They can be your emotional outlet, they’re your shield, they’re your comfort and they’ll support you through it no matter what.

Friendship between men and women is a typical phenomenon. People, men or women, will definitely settle for a friendship if they can’t get what they actually want.

In most cases, there should be no attraction between friends of the opposite sex. If you become attracted to one another, you simply won’t act on it. We’re grownups and are capable of it, right?

I believe that men and women can be friends, as friendship is one of the most important parts of our life, then chemistry and personality are the most essential characteristics to a friend. It doesn’t really matter if your friend is male or female; all that matters is to be able to communicate with your friend, to feel free, to be yourself with that person.