Q&A for How to Understand Platonic Love and Friendship

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  • Question
    We were in a relationship for 3 years, and then friends for another 3 years. When he has a girlfriend, I can't accept it. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    Move on. Because if not you will always be someone to fall back on for him. Find someone who feels the same way about you that you feel about them, otherwise you're going to be miserable.
  • Question
    Is it still platonic love if you think of the person all the time but would not go beyond a pat on his cheek and a warm hug?
    Community Answer
    Most likely, yes. You can care about someone deeply and think about them a lot without it being romantic.
  • Question
    As a married man, should I end a friendship with a woman if I find myself becoming attracted to her?
    Community Answer
    You shouldn't have to feel like you can't hang out with other women just because you're married, but make sure you realize that this will never be more than a friendship. If you start to find it harder and harder to resist turning the friendship into something more, you should cut ties with that person.
  • Question
    What if someone first takes me as a romantic partner and after a while she decides she wants it to be platonic?
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    Relationships only occur when all involved agree the same way. That is, one person wanting to be in a relationship is not enough, only if both people want to, can it happen. If she no longer feels she wants to be in a romantic relationship with you, then there isn't much you can do. Likewise, if she wants a platonic relationship, you are not obligated to that, either, if you don't want to. She can't make that decision by herself, because it includes you. Finally, it is often best to end a relationship completely, rather than going from romantic to platonic.
  • Question
    We've spent weekends away together, always two beds in the same room. I love her deeply and am quite attracted to her (she knows this), but she describes our relationship as platonic. Still, on our latest trip out of town, she came to my bed in the morning to "cuddle". What's the deal?
    Community Answer
    If she describes the relationship as being platonic, most likely that's how she really views it. She simply may not see a "friendly" cuddle as crossing the line, whereas, for you, it clearly does because of your romantic attraction to her. It's time to have a gentle talk about boundaries in this platonic relationship: don't be afraid to make it clear to her that cuddling, for you, suggests a greater degree of intimacy than she is apparently willing to have at this point.
  • Question
    Is it a good idea to be friends with a guy that is already in a relationship?
    Community Answer
    Yes, as long as you intend on just being friends with him.
  • Question
    What about the fact that boys and girls can never be friends? The boy can't handle a hug because he'll always be thinking about sex, right?
    Mohsin Rusher
    Community Answer
    That's not a fact. It depends on the boy, and what type of guy he is. Not everyone is the same. If the boy respects his friend and genuinely cares for her in a platonic way, he will not be thinking about having sex with her.
  • Question
    What should I do if I find out that the friendship I have is more than platonic?
    Community Answer
    Don`t break the friendship. Real friendship is bigger than physical bonds. To find the real friend is harder than finding a lower.
  • Question
    I've loved this girl for almost seven years. She knows it, but she is in a relationship with another boy. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Let it go, or just wait. Don't pester her, but do be a good, faithful friend.
  • Question
    How do I stay friends and not to offend? How do I show that that friendship is important?
    Community Answer
    Act normal and support her in whatever she does. Never talk behind her back.
  • Question
    She is married and has said that her marriage is broken, and that she only stays for kids. We have been communicating and lunch at work, but when I ask her out to lunch away from work, she says she can't. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    Don't try to date a woman who is still married. You don't want to be the person responsible for finalizing a split (even if she says the relationship is broken). If she gets, divorced, pursue her; otherwise, respect her and her husband enough to keep your distance.
  • Question
    What if my closest friend sometimes makes me think that he loves me, but he actually doesn't? How do I know his true feelings?
    Community Answer
    Ask him. That's the only way to know. There's not much you can do about it if he lies or hides the way he really feels.
  • Question
    I've been seeing a girl and we cuddle, but she says we have a platonic relationship. What does that mean?
    Community Answer
    Before you go any further, you need to sit down together and talk about what each of you wants and what each of you want from this relationship. What you guys are doing is more than "just friends." You guys need to talk it out.
  • Question
    Step 4 implies that platonic love is not "actual love," merely because it is not romantic. Why is this?
    Community Answer
    They just meant that platonic love is not romantic love. Romantic love is what people most typically think of when they think of love. We have edited the phrasing for better clarity.
  • Question
    I am a bisexual female. My girlfriend and I are in a relationship, though neither of us want any sexual activity. Is it platonic?
    Community Answer
    You could still call it a romantic relationship, or a sensual relationship, or any other term that makes the two of you comfortable. It's your relationship and you get to choose how to define it.
  • Question
    How do I stay platonic friends with someone I am romantically attracted to? He is also attracted to me in a romantic way, but insists on keeping the relationship platonic.
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    Remember that the choice to have sex does not depend solely on you. If you want to but he doesn't, it doesn't happen. I have always felt that love is rare, and must be pursued relentlessly whenever it is felt, until it is either won or definitively lost. Make it abundantly clear to him how you feel: "Forget this platonic nonsense, I want you in my bed, in my life and in my heart." But don't wait around too long; if he doesn't want you back, find someone else.
  • Question
    My guy friend and I flirt a lot and spend a lot of alone time together, but he has a girlfriend. Still, he gives me free rides from school, always looks after me, and touches me a lot. Does he like me?
    Community Answer
    He may very well like you, but it's not a great idea to flirt back since he has a girlfriend. You could ask him how he feels about you, since that's the only way to know for sure if he likes you.
  • Question
    I have strong feeling for my best friend, but he loves me as a friend only. What can I do?
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    If you have developed feelings for your friend, that's great! Love is rare, so never let any chance at love go by without doing something with it. But you cannot force it. You loving your friend is only half the requirement before love can exist; if your friend isn't interested, there's nothing you can do. It sucks, it can hurt really badly, but there is no forcing this.
  • Question
    I have fallen in love with my husband's friend. There has not been any physical cheating, but I am emotionally in love with him. Nothing else has been said except that I need to leave my husband. What should I do?
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    Don't rush anything. Our heart has room for only one person. Either you're no longer in love with your husband, or you're in love with his friend (or neither). Be honest with what you feel: are you in deep love with your husband, and infatuated with his friend? Next, ask yourself what you want. Fix things and fall in love again with your husband? If not, you must first end the marriage, then give yourself time to grieve and heal, and only then pursue this new love. The risk is that you might find yourself still in love with your husband, whose role is being filled by his friend, which is fair to no one, least of all yourself.
  • Question
    Is it still platonic if I also want to be cuddled by him?
    Community Answer
    It can be. Think about your feelings, and be sensitive of his. As long as you're both comfortable with what's going on and nobody feels like they're getting mixed messages, it's perfectly fine to cuddle.
  • Question
    My daughter is pregnant and has become distant, excluding me from her antenatal care. I've tried to be supportive but I feel ignored and excluded. What shall I do? The baby is due in 2 months.
    Abbey Thornton-Student
    Community Answer
    Just let her know you care. Ask her if there's anything she wants you to do for her. If she pushes you away don't give up, but don't force your willingness to help onto her. Let her know that you'll be there for her no matter what. She's probably scared and thinks she doesn't want help when she really does.
  • Question
    Is it platonic love when my girlfriend is constantly going on vacations with her gay friend and sharing a room with him?
    Community Answer
    If they're not romantically or sexually involved with each other, then yes, it's a platonic type of love. Given that your girlfriend's close friend is gay, I think you can safely assume the relationship is platonic.
  • Question
    I love him, he says he love me. We were in a romantic relationship, but now he wants a platonic relationship. Is that possible, seeing as how we have done so much together already?
    Community Answer
    Yes, that's possible, as long as you feel comfortable with it. Many people go from being lovers/romantic partners to being friends. But if you don't feel comfortable or you don't feel ready to be friends, just tell him that. Sometimes it takes a little while to adjust your feelings.
  • Question
    When my friend admits he has feelings for me, should I set boundaries or just ignore him?
    Community Answer
    It's completely up to you. If you trust that he won't pester or annoy you with his affections, or mistake your friendship for romantic interest, then I wouldn't worry about setting up any kind of boundaries. However, if you think he might get pushy, then I would make your boundaries clear to him.
  • Question
    I have feelings for a girl, but she said "Can we just be friends?" The feelings don't go away. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    Be happy with friends for now. You're not going to change her mind by pushing the issues, and if you wait and enjoy your friendship, you may have a chance to be more later on.
  • Question
    I had a girlfriend (kind of). She keeps switching from friends to partners and back again. Now she has totally removed the touch factor and tells me she wants to be friends. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Tell her that you're not going to put up with this anymore. She has to decide what she wants one way or the other. If she tells you she just wants to be friends, accept that, and don't take her back if she decides she wants to be more than that later on. If you go back on your ultimatum, she'll think she can treat you any way she likes.
  • Question
    I love a girl romantically, but I think she loves me platonically. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    You should ask her how she feels. If she's not interested in a romantic relationship, try to stay friends if you can. Remember, there are plenty of fish in the sea.
  • Question
    This boy spread a rumor that I was dating him - what do I do?
    Community Answer
    Well, if he spread the rumor, he obviously likes you. Ask him why he spread it and tell people calmly that he is not your boyfriend.
  • Question
    If the person you like has platonic feelings towards you, it there a chance they could change the way they see you, or will they always feel that way?
    Community Answer
    It's unclear how someone may feel in the future. However, if someone is not interested in you in a romantic way, you should respect their feelings. If you can accept being just friends with them, then try for that, but don't do it in the hope that they might develop feelings for you.
  • Question
    How do I handle a new platonic relationship that my partner of 10 years has with a new lady? The friendship has been developed a lot the last 11 months; he said he likes her a lot, and vice versa.
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    It's a perfectly fine, healthy and good thing for people to develop friendships. You want him to make new friends, because it keeps him interesting. If he's with you 24/7, he'll never have adventures to tell you about and you'll lose interest. There's often a drive or desire to have sex when you meet someone new, but he must be grown up and responsible about it. Sex with her, loses you. There is, however, not much you can do until it does - if ever - happen. I would tell him how you feel: proud that he's made a friend, but anxious, nervous and a little jealous.
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