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Why Can't Men and Women be Friends?

Flyingeagle3 · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:32 · permalink

I'm watching this show called married at first glance but it's my country's version. They were asked if men and women can be friends. Half the guys said no. So it got me thinking, why not? I have a female friend and it is working fine so far. Am I schizophrenic or are they just wrong? I want to know what the arguments are for why not.

unstablez0 · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:33 · permalink

I wouldn't trust a drama TV show's opinion on this over your lived experience.

tugazero95 · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:34 · permalink

My friend these shows exist so we can all laugh at how stupid the contestants are. Of course they are wrong.

bonkai2804 · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:34 · permalink

They can.

ArmanK97 · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:34 · permalink

The people who don’t think (straight) men and women can be platonic friends are ones who can’t look at the opposite sex without objectifying and desiring them, and they assume everyone else is the same way.

But not everyone is the same way, and it’s perfectly possible for men and women to be friends.

Liu_Zhaohan · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:34 · permalink

Because 9 times out of 10, my male instincts will take over and I'll try to get the woman into bed

Alriosa · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:35 · permalink

They can be friends. It's just some people either cannot accept that reality or they have a hard time just staying friends with someone of the opposite gender.

vllax · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:35 · permalink

I don’t know, man I’m in the same boat as you but from my perspective I think it’s just because most men are taught to behave differently towards women. I’m not speaking for every man, but the majority of men don’t rough house, their women, friends, or pull elaborate pranks on them like they do with their Guy friends

GhostBrother0722 · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:35 · permalink

Check the ladder theory. It is still valid.

Helsinger · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:35 · permalink

Those men can’t look at a woman without thinking about having sex wjth her. Women who are attractive, they want to bang. Women who are unattractive have no value to them.

FLOUDY · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:35 · permalink

They absolutely can and a lot of people do.

There are a lot of insecure people who don't understand that it is normal to have platonic friends of the opposite gender.

agamerhasnotag · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:35 · permalink

because men tend to only befriend women they find attractive and that can lead to cheating

restless_matriarch · 7 Sep 2026 at 16:36 · permalink

They can. It's people who only view women as things to fuck that say this.