Can a man and a woman just be friends? Is platonic friendship a myth? Is it possible for two people to stay friends without developing any romantic interest for each other? There are an endless number of ways one can ask this question. However, there is no definite answer.
Platonic friendship is not an objective topic with a yes or no answer. For some, it's 100 percent real while others may not find it provable. How can you really know the other person has no feelings for you? Let's dig a little deeper.
What does it mean to be platonic friends?
Platonic friends are those who are involved in a close friendship, know each other inside out and still don't have romantic feelings for one another. In this kind of friendship, there are no "benefits" involved for either party. It's just two people who are great pals, who share secrets, who have fun together -- but don't get involved in any sexual activity.
How practical is platonic friendship?
It's completely normal for two people to share a close bond without having any romantic or sexual involvement. You don't think twice when two women or two men are best friends. However, when two friends of the opposite gender (or the same, depending on their sexuality) spend hours together, it's often perceived that one or both have feelings for the other.
You will never truly know how someone else feels about you.
Platonic friendship cannot be proven, because you can't prove how the other person feels. When two people are very close, it's easy to develop feelings (feelings they may or may not acknowledge). Even if they never act on their feelings as a way of saving their friendship from damage, that doesn't mean the feelings aren't there.
Does science support the platonic friend theory?
According to Science, a man and a woman can never be just friends. Studies have shown that platonic friendships are not completely real because of the way men think. It was found that most men either admitted that they had a romantic interest in their female friends or thought that the females were attracted to them. On the other hand, most women had no sexual feelings for their male friends and thought it was a mutual feeling.
It's important to observe that men often misinterpret women's behavior. A woman can easily bond with a man with no sexual intent, but a man almost always takes it as a sign of a romantic interest.
What can we learn from platonic frienships in film?
Do you remember the famous dialogue "Ek ladka aur ek ladki kabhi dost nahin ho sakte!" from the movie "Maine Pyar Kiya"? Listening to these words, every Bollywood fan in the 90s was convinced that it's reality. In almost all Indian films, we are shown that love is the ultimate destination for two individuals, no matter how strong their friendship is. We either see a big group of friends or two best friends of the same gender. You'll rarely find two people of the opposite sex who are best friends and don't end up falling in love.
However, there's one fictional creation that completely changed this perception with its iconic friendship... Harry Potter and Hermione Granger! There are numerous moments where you can witness pure friendship shared between the two. They support each other through the tough times and give us some major friendship goals.
As mentioned above, platonic friendship is subjective. It all depends on your views and how you handle your relationships. Many people admit that they are in fact enjoying a very happy platonic friendship, and it doesn't create any problem in their respective romantic relationships. While it's found that men have a tougher time treating women as "just friends," we cannot eliminate the exceptions. The underlying fact is that the chances of a romantic or sexual angle between them can never be completely ruled out.