Platonic friends; that’s one term I don’t like. I have many male friends, but I don’t refer to them as being my platonic friends. I tend to think labeling them as that ruins a great friendship. To me they are just friends, no labels defining what kind of friends they are. My reason for this being that I don’t think platonic relationships exist.
According to dictionary.com platonic means an intimate companionship or relationship especially between two persons of the opposite sex, that is characterized by the absence of sexual involvement. So basically a platonic relationship is having an emotional relationship with someone. It’s when they give you the comfort and support you miss out on from your other relationships.
The thing with being friends with people of the opposite sex is that men and women are wired differently. When you go to your “girlfriend†with your problems, they listen and cry with you if need be. They give you advice on what to do about it. On the other hand, the same issue being discussed with a man yields a different response. Men do not solve issues for you. When you go crying to them, they want to protect you from the problem, to provide you with what it is you like. At least that’s how I see it. When a man goes to a woman with his issues, she seeks to comfort him, mother him in some way.
This emotional aspect of the relationship where the girl is comforting you or you as the man want to protect her, changes everything. Over time, it grows into something different and physical needs come up. You want to be more than just friends. Somewhere along the line, you act out on your urges and maybe start a friends with benefits relationship. Or maybe you decide to take the plunge and have a relationship. But that friendship you once had has changed, you can’t look at the person in the same way once you get intimate.
I always tell people there is no such thing as platonic relationships unless one of you is gay. If not, it’s just a relationship that no one is ready to take to the next level. Platonic relationships do not work out in the long run. But that’s just my opinion. Do you think platonic relationships can work?