Sunday, March 16, 2008

We're friends.....right?

I've had a ridiculous amount of male friends in my lifetime. The reason for this: I don't know. Usually, it starts out with an attraction, but when it doesn't evolve into a physical tryst, then somehow it becomes this comfortable friendship with a ridiculous amount of openness that has exposed me to the male psyche in so many ways. Sometimes, I think I know too much about what makes a man tick.

Thinking about all these male interactions that I have made me wonder... when do you stop considering a friendship platonic? Is it at the level of attraction? Because, honestly, I don't have any male friends that I don't find attractive. That doesn't entirely coincide with my being attracted to them, but I definately understand why a woman would be. Does it stop when the other person in the relationship develops feelings? What if those feelings aren't mutual? Can you still label it a platonic interaction? I've kissed guys (not on a regular basis- just at some point during the friendship) and still been good friends with them without batting an eyelash when they introduce me to their girlfriends. I'm usually happy for them and wish good things. I sometimes recommend distance so as to limit their appreciation of me so that they focus on their girlfriends and not me; but usually I'm met with laughter and a shrug. But are we platonic? I wonder about who I would keep around if I were in a relationship... but one of those friendships in particular leaves me a little perplexed. He's been one of my closest friends for four years and has had feelings for me for most of that time (although he has never made a move). Would it be wrong of me to continue that friendship even though I've made it perfectly clear that he and I would not work (due to his inability to ask me out... I need a guy who goes after what he wants... in all facets and is comfortable with himself enough to do so) if I were to get involved with someone? Could I still call him friend even though his feelings for me are more? I know that most guys don't think anything of a kiss (and some dont consider that cheating)... so me being a virgin makes life easy for them in their mental and I'm comfortably labeled 'friend'. But am I really? Regular texts/calls...going out on 'dates', eating dinner and cuddling on the couch are all things that I've done with friends at one point or another. I really don't know.... Yet another thing I'm confused on.


Update (thanks to Jasmin and Jameil's commentary): I need to clarify before people start lookin at me wrong...lol. I am not regularly kissing or cuddling with any of my friends. Those are just boundaries that have been crossed at some point or another within those friendships, but does not occur repeatedly or throughout the friendship. The friend that I've had for the last four years... I've done nothing with. Not a kiss, not holding hands- nothing. No mixed messages. I could not fathom regularly engaging in kisses and touches and not catch feelings... I'm not that talented. What I'm wondering is if that line has been crossed at some point in the friendship, does it change the dementions and turn it into something that can no longer be labeled platonic? Or if one of the people in the friendship catches feelings, does it mean that a platonic situation is no longer feasible?

Digression: gotta duet with Sojourner on his poetry site. If you're interested- check it out: The Virgin Temptation

22 comments:

Jameil said...

i don't ordinarily cuddle with my guy friends or kiss them. merriam-webster def. of platonic: of, relating to, or being a relationship marked by the absence of romance or sex.

i like to tell my guy friends: if you wouldn't be cuddlin w/your guy friend, trick get off me!

lol. maybe not all that. maybe mild cuddling but don't get too comfortable. i think its up to him to get out of the sitch b/c its unhealthy for him. but please don't kiss him b/c that would be leading him on. someone often starts or continues to catch feelings when lips are touching on a regular basis.

dejanae said...

lol@jameil
that sounds bout right to me
for me
its if i cant picture myself having sex with them.lol

Jazzy said...

lmao@Jam..."trick get off me"??? LOL!

Cuddling and kissing should be off limits. I'd be pissed if I found out my guy was cuddling and kissing with his quote unquote platonic friend.

Obviously he's doing it because he likes you...might be sending a mixed message if you allow it to continue.

Also...it sounds like you like this dude enough to be affectionate with him. Are you really going to just write him off as boyfriend material because he isn't aggressive enough?

Desy said...

j- i'm not kissing anyone- and i def don't make a habit of doin that with someone who's in a relationship. i just have friends that i have kissed (not regularly) and then as time goes, they get in and out of different relationships; and i don't know if i would label our friendship 'platonic', thus my recommendation.
lmao@ trick get off me...

@dej-lol... that is definately a clear rule...

@diva- you got me a little confused...lol. this a culmination of multiple friendships. my friend of four years- there are other reasons why he and i don't get down like that, but his lack of aggression does bother me. i'll email you about it if you wanna know the details...lol (cause i know you nosey...haha)

MsRoxy said...

Go with your gut when it comes to these relationships. If you have to question it? Something's not right, fix it or "leff it alone" (leave it alone) lol.

Rashan Jamal said...

LMAO @ the Making the Blog captains calling you out.

I think the platonic thing ends when both express feeling or something physical happens. In most of my platonic friendships, one or the other may want more, but if there is no action, the friendship can maintain.

Then you have those sometimes platonic situations where it was platonic, then something happened, and then it became platonic again...

Eb the Celeb said...

Girl I have no idea... I posed the question a couple weeks ago asking when is it okay to see if friends really do make the best lovers... if you want to check out what my readers said you can go here... because I am confused myself when this situation arises

ttp://renaissanceblackwoman.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-do-you-know-when-friends-make-best.html

Eb the Celeb said...

OK... I dont know what happened with that link so lets try again...LOL

Friends as lovers post

Jazzy said...

LOL @ you calling us out, but appreciate the clarification!

I think it all depends on a lot of things, but mostly on the dementions of the friendship to begin with and the personalities of the two people involved.

I've had a male friend cross the line and I tried to "go there" with him, but he was so not my type. As friends...we were great, but I couldn't see a relationship. When I tried to maintain our just friends relationship only, he was pretty angry about it...sooooooo, that was the end of that friendship.

Don said...

Could I still call him friend even though his feelings for me are more?

Speaking from the male perspective, I think you can. We tend to settle down into our role after we may have "made the attempt," and the female shot us down. I don't think true friendship evolves around the physical and I also think we, as men, are supposed to be somewhat attracted to our female friends.

Right?

Nicole said...

In keeping with Deja's meet a blogger instructions, I stopped by to say, "Hey."

I think most men are better than women at separating and squashing those feelings when necessary. Not to say that women are more emotional, (I think they hurt and feel as much as women) but I think some men handle their emotions better. If a guy tried and was rejected, I think he might hold out hope, but be really good at going back to being just friends, especially if the friendship was real to begin with.

Brittany said...

Yes I feel the same way. Men are much better at separating how they feel.
lol @ the update.

Jinta said...

i think platonic's out the window when feelings develop.

before reading your update, i was going to say: we're friends, right? i'm coming over for a kiss and cuddle. lol

Desy said...

@rox- bop! bop! bop!... hahaha; you know u right, but i've never been able to give on on relationships that easily

@eb- thanks for the reference

@diva- you are definately right about that personality factor... i've seen it with some of my friendships and have had to walk away from one b/c of that

@don- to some degree, all interactions require attraction; otherwise, what the hell are you doin there... but why if you never tried? you feelin her but never made a move? friendship or more?

@nicole- i jsut love how dej gives assignments...lol. awesome pov...

@britt- you see how the blog capts clean threw me under the bus makin me look like a lip whore...hahaha- i had to defend myself...lol

@jinta- knowing what you've been thru recently, you definately can...when you comin?...lol

Don said...

@ desy: well, most of the times it was one of those things where I was already involved. And the female probably would have told, if I came on to her.


Sidebar: great topic.

1/3 said...

hmm I'm mad my first comment didnt go through lol. I have alot of male friends as well and now I think about it most them started out as dates that didnt go much further. I think you can still be friends even though
there were some feelings in the past. As long as both parties recognize that those feelings are just that "in the past".

Anyway, I like your blog. I'll be back:-)

Don said...

@ desy: the virgin temptation is a great, great poem.

Desy said...

@Rah- you already know what i'm gonna say here.. sooooo... yeah..lol

1/3- word!...lol; i'm sure to keep in blog touch myself

don- thanks...now get to writin so we can create the same magic *wink

i.can't.complain. said...

never kissed a platonic male friend.

then again most (read 99 %) of my male friends are gay

so that makes not kissing them easier.

although they are hella attractive.

i change my mind frequently about if a hetero male/female platonic relationship can exist.

i think it can... but the boundaries will always be blurred.

-1-

dessex said...

i personally think its rather difficult for a man and woman to be JUST friends. Because after a while feelings do becoming involved because after a while you start wondering what could be... Most people say the best relationships were established during a friendship.

Anonymous said...

Friends don't kiss and friends don't cuddle. Once those lines have been crossed its hard to distinguish what the "relationship" between two people are.

I think Chris Rock referred to male platonic friends as "emergency dick in a glass" "break glass if needed".

I agree with Chris alot of females like to keep guys around as a plan B.

Desy said...

@i.can't- lol; it is tru, kissing your gay friends would be harder- but most of them are pretty cuddly (especially when you are low)...

@dessex- welcome.. and i think you a probably right about that..

@80-lmao at the rock quote- i'd never heard that... i definately don't have any 'in case of emergency' friends... if it didn't happen when we first crossed the line- then it never will...