No, it is not wrong as long as she communicates to her partner that it is only a friendship, and she doesn’t have any romantic feelings for them.
If her partner objects to this, it could be a sign there is a lack of trust in the relationship. This issue needs to be resolved one way or the other before continuing.
Other than that, a plain, platonic friendship with men should be alright. Let’s look at the situation a bit more!
A sign of the times
Many years ago it would have been considered wrong for men and women to have a pure friendship relationship with each other.
After all, it is not practical or realistic. That was in the old days.
Fast-forward to today and there are scores of men and women who are strictly friends. They are almost like brothers and sisters to each other.
It is also widely accepted now. Will some people still object? Probably yes, like folks who are uneducated and somewhat ignorant. Just ignore them!
Is there anything a woman should not permit in such a friendship?
Yes! She must never share a bed with this person nor passionate kisses with them.
Unless there is a good reason, it is also better if he never spends the night with her at any location.
If she abides by these rules, there shouldn’t be any problems with her significant other accepting this relationship.
It is possible she might need to find a way to prove to her mate that this other guy really is just a good friend.
This goes both ways
What does this mean? Trust in a relationship is a two-way street.
If a woman expects her partner to trust her judgment as far as being friends with other men goes, she should reciprocate. If she does not, she is being rather hypocritical.
Just as many men have women friends as the other way around. His wife or life partner needs to accept this.
Her trust in her mate must extend to his friendships with the opposite sex. The same rules apply.
Once again, there is nothing wrong with this type of relationship.
Can men and women really be just friends?
In today’s society, yes, they can. Sometimes, it is good to have an objective opinion from the opposite sex on issues. Let’s explore what we mean by that.
Let’s say a woman is having problems with her husband. Another man can help her with this.
It would be helpful to have another man’s views on the problems. Her friend is not likely to judge her or have a biased opinion on how to resolve it.
His advice could be the key to resolving her issues. Then she and her husband can move past the issue and continue to have a great relationship.
Who does this apply to?
Thus far, we have aimed it at heterosexual relationships. We must point out that the same advice can be given to same-sex couples.
They face the same sort of problems that heterosexual couples do, just with different specifics.
When a same-sex person has friends of the same-sex, this should be fine with his or her partner. The same elements of trust go into these relationships.
Therefore, similar situations and resolutions can apply. Same-sex couples will also benefit from reading this article.
How do YOU feel about having friends of the opposite sex while in a relationship?
This is a crucial part of the answer to our main question. What are YOUR thoughts on this issue? Some people are fine with it while others are not comfortable with it.
Nobody is going to force you to do something you don’t want. If you feel as though you would be betraying your mate, then stay away from such relationships.
On the flip side, if you feel confident in yourself not to try to turn your friendship into something more, that is fine too.
You know you are not cheating on your mate, therefore, he or she should be comfortable with this too.
What about doing activities with your opposite-sex friends?
This is something you might want to shy away from even if you know nothing wrong will come of it. It would be a display to your mate that you prefer your friends’ company to his or hers.
What you can do instead is to bring your spouse along on these activities.
Even if your spouse does not usually participate in the activity or event, they will be able to see your innocent friendship in action. He or she will see they can trust you.
Make sure you show your mate that they can trust you.
Avoid doing anything controversial that will make him or her wonder about your “friendship” with this person.
Is it acceptable to make new friends while in a relationship?
If this just happens to occur, it should be fine. However, you really need to refrain from seeking out new friendships that could jeopardize your relationship.
Your mate will probably wonder why you don’t find his or her company or opinions to be fruitful. This might cause a rift between the two of you.
Remember, it goes both ways. Once again, if you expect your partner to trust you, you must trust them.
If he develops an innocent new friendship with another woman, you can display your trust in him by accepting it.
Yet, if he deliberately seeks out the friendship with another woman, you may wish to have a serious discussion with him about why he wants it.
An introduction is important
One of the keys to being able to maintain your friendships with members of the opposite sex while in a relationship is an introduction.
You must make every effort to introduce your mate to them ASAP. If you do not, resentment will build up. Your mate will wonder why they have never met the person.
The above statement applies whether your spouse is someone you just recently hooked up with or have been married to for quite some time.
Pick an occasion and time when you all are not too busy. Then you can have a friendly chat or participate in an event together.
These things will help your partner see there is nothing to worry about.
What if your spouse is jealous?
It depends on the degree of jealousy. For many couples, a little jealousy is okay. It shows they care about what you do.
The exception is if your mate is obsessively jealous. In that case, you might have a significant problem. An overly jealous life-partner is NOT a good thing.
If there is an issue such as this in your relationship, the problem could be far deeper than your friendships.
Counseling could be in order or maybe even separation from your partner. It might mean he or she does not trust you at all.
That is no good by any stretch of the imagination. This is another situation where a good friend can help with a problem.
Why have you and your good friend never had a romantic relationship?
There could be great reasons for this. We will list some of them now.
- You do not have the same interests
- You don’t live in the same place, and you are only great friends via the Internet
- Although you can have great discussions with this person, there is no chemistry between you
- The age difference between you is too much
- You love this person as a friend but are not interested in a relationship with them
- You have completely different lifestyles
- You have a different gender preference than they do
- Your families come from radically different worlds
- This person feels more like a family member to you than a lover or potential spouse
Never have sexual relationships with a person who is not your spouse or partner
There is never a good reason for this and very few people will accept it.
If a deeper attraction between you and this person evolves, perhaps you ought to do something about it. Maybe you are no longer attracted to your life partner.
On the other hand, your friends need to respect your relationship with your spouse.
Ideally, they must never ask you to compromise yourself or your relationship with your partner.
Why is it a good thing to have friends of the opposite sex?
As we stated earlier, they can share a perspective with you about very important issues.
Besides relationship issues, this person can tell you what your mate might think of an outfit you want to buy.
Another possibility is a man’s opinion on home décor or furnishings before you buy them. Perhaps you want to surprise your mate with these things.
If it is someone already close to your spouse, he or she can give you your spouse’s opinion on a vehicle you are thinking of buying.
So many reasons exist here. Enjoy your friends!
