A cross-sex friendship is a platonic relationship between two unrelated people of differing sexes or gender. There are multiple types of cross-sex friendships, all defined by whether or not each party has a romantic attraction to each other, or perceives that the other is interested.
A platonic relationship is one with no romantic or sexual features, but it means more than “just friends.” According to the ancient philosopher Plato, for whom the concept is named, this bond is a type of love experienced when we identify positive qualities we feel complete us, within another person.
A platonic friendship is a close friendship between two people who are not dating or having sex. If the friendship moves beyond “just friends” then it is no longer platonic.
Platonic Relationship vs.
If no physical intimacy or sex exists between you and the other person, it is a platonic relationship—even if the desire is there. Platonic Relationship. Involves deep friendship. People involved may or may not have a desire for physical intimacy. No physical intimacy or sex occurs.
Daily experience suggests that non-romantic friendships between males and females are not only possible, but common—men and women live, work, and play side-by-side, and generally seem to be able to avoid spontaneously sleeping together.
In English, a relationship between a man and woman that is spiritual or intellectual, without sexual activity, is called platonic -- after Plato's ideal of non-sexual love.
What is a romantic friendship? It is a relationship between two people who are more than friends, but less than lovers, whose emotional intimacy, deep love, and sense of commitment equal that of traditional romantic partners/spouses, sans the sexual angle.
Platonic cuddling can take place between friends or family members, while romantic cuddling is between romantic partners. There may be some crossover between the two activities, but for the most part, they're separate activities.
Just because the practice of platonic kissing isn't familiar to you doesn't mean it's not common elsewhere. "Platonic lip kissing is found in cultures around the world, between friends, family, and sometimes even strangers as a means of greeting," says Allison Moon, author of "Girl Sex 101."
Yes, platonic friends can fall in love. This isn't something that happens all the time, but if you're both on the same page, then a relationship that begins from a solid base of friendship can be a really beautiful and long-lasting thing.
Rather, it's an expression of platonic love between two or more individuals. It can be between two male or two female friends, a child and parent, or even a group of people all holding hands together.
"A situationship is that space between a committed relationship and something that is more than a friendship," explains psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert. "Unlike a friends with benefits or relationship, there isn't consensus on what it is." Why is this becoming a trend now?
Clinical psychologist Vijayeta Sinh says a situationship is simply a relationship that hasn't been defined. This could be due to a lack of willingness from both people to define the relationship or a lack of commitment towards one another.
A quasiplatonic relationship is much more intense than a close friendship. Partners have a strong bond or emotional connection with someone that goes beyond being romantic or sexual – in fact, quasiplatonic relationships aren't typically sexual at all, but the bond is similar to that of a romantic partnership.
A romantic friendship, passionate friendship, or affectionate friendship is a very close but typically non-sexual relationship between friends, often involving a degree of physical closeness beyond that which is common in contemporary Western societies.
Aplatonic is a term used to describe people who do not experience platonic attraction. Specifically, it is most commonly employed by aplatonic people to describe a lack of desire to form friendships with specific people, or difficulty forming friendships in general as a result of neurodivergence or trauma.
People may go into platonic flirting relationships with their co-workers, classmates, friends, and others they frequently flirt with but don't necessarily want to pursue a romantic or sexual relationship with.
As long as both parties agree and set parameters, experts say kissing or showing other displays of affection with friends is all right – and the decision remains up to the respective parties alone.
If your man give you a quick, dry-mouthed kiss on the lip, it doesn't mean anything but love for you. Whether they do it indoors or out in the public, it only signifies how serious they are in their relationship.
The great platonic debate
Don't be fooled by the word “platonic” – it just means nothing physical happened, including kissing and sex. At the end of the day, if you got into bed with someone you're attracted to, chances are it still means something, even if you did nothing but sleep side by side.
Two people lie sideways and back-to-back. It provides a sense of closeness without the discomfort of intertwining limbs, says Hess. Here, one person lies on their back while the other cozies up to their side. A hybrid of the classic "spooning" method, this position allows for room to touch and talk.
Of course. Friendship is friendship. There's a difference between “I'm cuddly because we're friends and I want affection and we're close,” and “I'm cuddly because I'm attracted to you and I want to be close to you.”
In relationships, four types of intimacy are key: emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual.
A study found that the benefits of men and women being friends included having a respected friend, talking openly, and receiving a boost to self-esteem. But one of the most underappreciated aspects of having friends is being able to learn from them.