Can Boys and Girls be Just Friends?

It’s a common question and everybody seems to have an opinion; can guys and girls really be just friends? Depending on whom you ask you get a variety of answers. So while in theory there is no good reason that guys and girls can’t be friends in reality it really depends on the people involved. Some people can pull off opposite sex friendships and some people can’t. We asked around and got some pretty interesting, and often contradictory answers to the question, “Can guys and girls be just friends?”

I think they can if they want to, I mean what’s the big deal? It’s not like you want to date everybody you meet. Some guys are just too goofy to want to have as more than a friend.
- Laura, 16

Any girl who has a guy as a good friend is either a tease or living in denial. Guys may not always make a move on their girl “friends” but they wouldn’t ever turn the girl down if she made a move on them.
- Steven, 18

It’s just wrong. Guys and girls can’t relate to each other, they live such different lives. Guys are all about sports and tricks and keeping it real with their boys. Girls are gossips and backstabbers. I can see why a girl may want to be friends with guys because girls are vicious to each other but guys don’t need girls as their friends. If a girl is in your life she’s either a relative or your girlfriend, there’s no need for them anywhere else.
- Kai, 17

Guys are dogs. They just want one thing from a girl and it’s not good companionship. I have enough trouble fighting off guys who want to date me, who needs to deal with guys pretending to be your friend just to get to you?
- Alixandra, 15

Everybody makes this such an issue but it’s not. Some guys can be your friend and some can’t, it’s that simple. People are individuals and it’s not fair to group all guys together or all girls together as being one way. Friends come in all shapes, sizes, ages, colors AND genders.
- Kirsten, 17

Only really weak guys can’t be friends with girls. Girls are cool and make awesome friends.
- Tom, 15

Honestly, I’m torn on this. I’d like to say that yes guys and girls can be just friends but every boyfriend I’ve ever had started out as just a friend and then became something more. I’m not sure anymore that acting like “just a friend” isn’t just another move that guys use to get a girl.
- Lisle, 19

The “just friends” move is gold! Works every time. Of course guys and girls CAN be just friends but why would any guy want that? If I’m spending time with a girl it’s because I like her as more than a friend. I will say this though, there are some girls I wanted to get with at first but then decided they’d be cool as a friend instead but those friendships never last long.
- Aaron, 16