Why do you think it is hard for a man to just be friends with a woman?

[coloradodem2005]

When and if it is hard to do in your opinion.

[neuvocat]

1. When she's got a jealous significant other.

If either the female or male friend are single then there's that question looming overhead about whether or not they should be together.

[Left Is Write]

22. It's probably pretty hard if HE has a jealous significant other also.

[HEyHEY]

2. It's easy, in my experience. However it all boils down to one thing

Men's friends.
Many seem to have the idea that just because you're hanging out with a girl you should be fucking them. So men try to fuck them... cause the last thing you want is your friends thinking you aren't fucking the last girl they saw you with.
I live with two girls and the first thing I get asked when someone finds out is "So, you getting action then?"

I always say, "No I'm not that stupid."

[Spinzonner]

11. Well, umm, how stupid are you ?

Just askin'

[HEyHEY]

13. I'd be NUTS to attempt relations with a woman I live with

Especially considering I like the situation.

[bettyellen]

18. girls friends say the say thing, LOL....

are ya hitting that yet?
i just have to laugh.

[Madrone]

3. Fuck if I know.

But at the moment it seems to be causing HUGE (HUGH?) issues and drama in my life that I could do without!

[Guy Fawkes]

4. Its hard?

Oh, wait...

[Lucky Luciano]

5. It's doable, but usually there is sexual tension and

we eventually hook up...or we have hooked up in the past. I live with a girl who I am just friends with...although we did have wild jungle sex once in the past...since then we somehow managed to be just friends - mostly because of her boyfriend (that she got afterwards)...but now she is single again... and now I am not!

The only other girls I can think of that I am just friends with while not having any kind of sexual tension would be my guy friends' girlfriends.

Yes...it is tough to be just friends with attractive women...you will always be curious!!!!

[Roland99]

6. Because women have vaginas.

And boobs, too!

[bowens43]

9. we have a winner.....

[trof]

7. Because there's always, still, that "possibility".

If you're a straight man, ANY woman is a possible "target"?
It's just that it would be possible.
I have a very close woman friend.
She and her husband and me and my wife are like brothers and sisters.
For close to 30 years.
And I can still look at her and think "hmmmm" and fantasize.

[sundog]

8. if you're gay it's not

my women issues are at a minimum

:P

[Left Is Write]

23. Sundog

I do so love you.

[tjdee]

10. Because sex eventually enters the picture in some way.

Whether it's because, as HeyHEY says, it's the man's friends, or if someone develops a crush, or if someone wonders "what it'd be like to have sex" and is drunk enough to try to find out.... sex always comes into the picture.

That doesn't mean you can't get past that though. I have two or three really good male friends--one even survived my desperately being in love with him when we were young, LOL. Friends of the opposite are immensely helpful in trying to figure out "the other side".

[GirlinContempt]

12. My friends

don't seem to find it TOO hard most of the time, with any of us girls

[swag]

28. Girl,

there is no such thing as TOO hard with any of you girls.

[GirlinContempt]

31. Man

oh man :wow:

[skygazer]

14. I'm not sure

I've been just friends with quite a few men. I think it is easier when the man in question is in a solid relationship - it removes a lot of the questions of whether the friendship will turn sexual. However, several of my friendships have been with unattached guys and they've not breached that barrier at all - we've even commisserated with each other about dates or lack of same and I lived for several years with two single guys and none of us ever considered anything more.

I've also had friendships with guys that did include sex, on the basis of sex, not relationship. This can be done without a problem if everyone is like minded about it.

I think what makes it hard for some people are their own hangups and insecurities, not necessarily the fact that it's a friendship between men and women. For some reason, a lot of people seem to think it's odd not to be screwing someone of the opposite sex if you like them.

Put another way, can gay men and lesbians be just friends with someone of the same sex?

[oregonjen]

15. Have you ever seen "When Harry Met Sally?"

[leftofthedial]

16. breasts

[KG]

17. not hard at all - i have several woman friends

but then, i am a full grown man, who knows how to conduct himself and these are smart mature confident women.

[radwriter0555]

19. Men have to fuck everything in sight... but we all KNEW that

didn't we?

[sniffa]

20. yeah but the probLem is

not everyone wants to be fucked, and THAT is why men can't be friends with women; they sometimes reject their advances.

[MidwestMomma]

21. I think it depends on what each individual's definition of

falling in love is.

Some people think that love is something you can know in an instant. That the moment you see someone, you'll know they are are the one.

Other people think that love is something that you gradually grow into. That you can't really love someone until you know that someone.

I think the problem is when you put these two different types together and try to be friends.

Because if both people believe love is instantenous, then they can probably be friends because they believe if you don't start out as lovers, you will never be lovers. SO no conflicts.

However, if you have one person who believes love is something you know right away and someone who believes love is something that can develop, then that is what causes the problems. Because what happens is the one person, because they didn't immediately fall in love, has pretty much written the other one off as ever being a lover. However, the grow into love person is in the friendship thinking, hey, this might turn into something.

Does that make any sense? Sometimes thoughts in my mind sound kind of goofy in writing. :)

[Kat45]

26. It makes sense to me.

I think you're probably right, at least about some folks.

[evlbstrd]

24. Pheremones.

We're wired for it.
But, the older I get, the easier it gets.

[BellaLuna]

25. Depends on if there is any sexual attraction involved

If there's not it shouldn't be a problem. If there is then it could be.

If someone says a man is always attracted at some level to any woman, I don't buy it. I've know lots of guys who have platonic relationships with women who are heterosexual. They just have don't havt 'that' feeling for the woman and it doesn't get in the way.

[El Fuego]

27. I have lots of really good male friends

And the only reason they are my friends is that they really want to do me.

[StopTheMorans]

29. always, because they won't stop trying to get into my pants

[StopTheMorans]

30. kick