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The dreaded phrase, “I think it would be better if we were just friends,” has been feared by teenagers for decades. The fear that, after professing love for a girl, she’ll look at him and whip out this infamous line has kept many a boy from even suggesting that next step. And though much could be written about the problems with that phrase, why it should not be loathed like it is, and why it is, in fact, so awful, the real question today is- is it possible? Is it possible to be “just friends”?
From a girl’s point of view, it can be very hard to be “just friends” with a guy. As long as the two of you are both single and do not have any significant others, being friends and hanging out together without the question “Does he like me?” floating in the air is practically impossible. Ladies who do not have a boyfriend, but would like to, have a very hard time seeing guys as anything but potential boyfriends. And, after all, if the guy is enjoyable enough to be friends with, why wouldn’t he be enjoyable to date?
The difficulty with this is that a girl and a guy could go see a movie together just as friends, but she could spend the whole time analyzing him with the thought “how would he be as a boyfriend” in her head. When she does this, she gives off a different “vibe”- so to speak. When she talks to him, looks at him, or touches him, the thought that it could all mean something more is lurking behind her every action, and the guy she’s with picks up on it.
So if, a couple weeks later, she decides he’s not the guy for her, he might have finally decided to ask her to take their relationship to the next level. This situation eventually ends in confusion and subtle anger nine times out of ten because he’s embarrassed that he told this girl he liked her, and angry that she made it seem like she did, and she has no idea why he thought he had a chance, since they had just been hanging out in a friendly way to begin with.
So, what’s a girl to do? Is it possible to take precautions to ensure that the friendship line isn’t blurred, and thus avoid any awkward confrontations? The answer to the question is yes- but not without hard work and sacrifice.
If a young lady knows that her male friend is the kind of guy she’d like to have as a friend, but not as anything more, the very best thing she can do is make sure she does not go out of her way to spend time with him constantly. If every time he calls to hang out she drops everything to be with him, that makes him feel like he’s the most important thing in her life and thus holds an elevated position. If she makes sure she’s always available in case he e-mails or texts, constantly checking to see if she’s heard something from him, the same impression- that she cares more about him than anything- will be given. If when they hang out they flirt constantly, feelings that should not be created will inevitably surface, and the slightest and most innocent touch can easily be elevated to more than it was.
Even though she may enjoy his company, if she doesn’t want him to ask her out, she needs to make it clear that she does have other things to do. This isn’t to say that she ignores every call and never does anything with him, but examining how much time she actually spends with him compared to all her other friends and family would help her discern if she needs to tone down the relationship a little. If she does a careful job of being kind, but not flirty; fun, but not inviting, it will be much easier for the guy to know where the relationship stands. And remembering that people are very sensitive to touch is important- if she touches his arm during a suspenseful movie scene, or pats his back while laughing at a joke, gestures which were simple and maybe even impulsive to her can be signals for her male friend, or could even lead him to create feelings that he did not have for her previously.
Ultimately, if ladies learn to guard their hearts, give up some of the fun but dangerous habits that could lead both them and their male friends to have feelings they cannot act on, and make sure that they remain firm in God, praying for guidance before acting impulsively, then being “just friends” can be both possible and enjoyable.
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