Is friendship between a man and a woman possible? This question always was and still is a source of heated arguments.

Now, the famous saying that “there can be no friendship between a man and a woman” seems to be confirmed scientifically, at least when it comes to men.

New research indicates that when a man forms a friendly relationship with a woman, he is still driven by the sexual attraction he feels for her. At the same time, according to the researchers, this statement is not true for women who form friendly relationships with men.

A research team at the University of Wisconsin came in contact with 88 couples of friends. Both a man and a woman in each couple were asked to respond individually to various questions, including the degree of sexual attraction they felt for his/her friend.

It was found that men were more likely to feel sexual attraction to their female friends compared with women who most often said they did not have any erotic feelings for their friend.

An interesting point was that men did not hesitate to develop friendly relationships with women who they found sexually attractive, even if at that time, they had a happy long-term relationship.

In contrast, women, to a much larger degree than men, turned out to accept the platonic nature of a friendship between the two sexes.

The research also debunks another “myth” concerning relationships and friendships between men and women. Some people seem to believe that women get easier attracted to married men and those in a relationship.

According to the results published in the journal “Social and Personal Relationships“, this is not true and a man in a relationship is not an object of interest for a single woman.

What about you? Do you think that friendship between a man and a woman possible? Would you like to share a personal experience on the matter?


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This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Wantti

    So, “men were more likely to feel sexual attraction to their friend” – why should you come to a conclusion that they can’t be friends at all OR that the friendship between a man and a woman is only driven by the primitive sexual instinct? It might play a part at the early stages of friendship when said “friend couple” still doesn’t know each other very well and are just getting to know and learning to understand one another.

    But it’s still just one factor, the whole picture isn’t that simple. Deep friendship between people has it’s roots built in understanding and thus feeling real empathy towards the other person. You can’t come to a conclusion like that, unless your brain activity is on par with a turqey.

  2. FoolishMe

    I’m curious as to what happens when a prospective LOVE prospect enters said mans life. Where does she fit in? She naturally becomes THE BEST FRIEND, so does the prior best friend just become a friend? I have never understood a man calling a woman his BEST FRIEND when THAT should be one of the most important titles he gives his new LOVE prospect. I guess he’ll just have to choose. I personally do NOT believe that men and women can ever be just ‘platonic friends,’ especially when the man already gives her the title MEANT for his LOVE prospect that. Either one or both is just fooling themselves. My advice to the woman that comes into this situation? RUN!!! As fast and as far away from them both as you can!!!

  3. Ally

    I am not totally 100% convinced either way. It comes down to individualistic values and understanding about men-women/ male-female relationships.

    The factors, appreciating each other, respecting limits, valuing the worth of the opp. gender can truly uplift the relationship. Having a romantic interest in an opp. gender there is desire, passion and intimacy. This is what keeps it different from a friendship relationship only where none of these factors exists but it might also be valuable in terms of benefitting from each other otherwise, intellectually, emotionally, technically etc (not as in sexually, friends with benefits type scenario).

    Where overlaps in the friendship occurs then there are problems which is why most people become protective or jealous. We even hear things like, “I trust you but not him/her” Which is true, since the way one person views the relationship isn’t necessarily the same for the other party. Or, “temptation will knock at your door, don’t ask it to stay for dinner”

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