We all have asked this question before. Can men and women ever be “Just Friends”?
Based on our daily experience, this might appear like a very silly question.
Of course, it is possible!
However, when you think about it, you will realize that this question is deeper than it looks, and now science has an answer for it.
Is it possible or not?
In a new study, researchers addressed this age-old question seeking to solve it once and for all.
They conducted an experiment where they interviewed 88 pairs of mixed-sex friends to investigate the subject more and to ensure the transparency of the study, all participants were separated and they were asked not to discuss any of the results with their friends to avoid any fallout between them.
Simply, the experiment was to ask each person a series of questions concerning their feelings for their opposite-sex friends.
The findings revealed a massive contrast between men’s and women’s opinions on mixed-sex friendships.
What they found was intriguing: Men’s friendships with the opposite sex are driven by sexual attraction, regardless of whether they are single or in a relationship.
Men were much more attracted to their female friends and they also thought that this feeling was mutual, which was not the case — a clearly misguided belief.
The thoughts that men had about their female friends’ feelings had nothing to do with reality. They assumed that any romantic attraction they experienced was mutual, and did not realize the actual level of romance their female friends had.
On the other hand, women were completely unaware of the men's perspective because generally they were not attracted to their male friends, they assumed that this lack of attraction was mutual as well.
In other terms, both men and women had a misunderstanding of the mutual feelings they had.
These results suggest that men have difficulty with being “just friends.”
This may look like the stereotype about sex-driven males and naïve females but it also shows the difference between the two mindsets; Men do not exclude romantic opportunities with their female friends, while women have a completely different goal which is pure friendship.
In a follow-up study, 249 adults were asked about the pros and cons of being friends with a member of the opposite sex.
“The possible romantic attraction” was five times more likely to be listed as a negative aspect of the friendship.
These research findings indicate significant differences in the perception of “just friends” between men and women, with potential consequences for their relationships.
While women tend to believe in the platonic nature of opposite-sex friendships sincerely, men often struggle to suppress their desire for something beyond mere friendship.
In conclusion, society says it’s possible, but research suggests otherwise. Men and women will always have differing mindsets about this subject, one partner wants more while the other doesn’t.