Male-female friendship: desire or the real thing?

Male-female friendship or just a step toward a date?

A man tells a friend that his weekly tennis match with a woman has become an obsession. He doesn't want to be her friend: he wants a date, but doesn't dare ask for antiestéticar of rejection. The anecdote, taken from a private conversation, sums up an uncomfortable question: can a man have female friends without sensual desire eventually poisoning things? The debate isn't new, but every generation revives it with the same arguments.

Friends or future lovers?

Some argue that heterosenshetero friendship is a biological impossibility. Their favorite comparison: it's like being friends with your own child, an asymmetric relationship where one side always plays from a position of authority or interest. On the other side, a pragmatic camp admits attraction exists but distinguishes between desire and action. They cite cases of men with attractive female friends they don't pursue, though they concede that if an opportunity arose with no complications, they'd probably give in. Such honesty is disarming.

Age difference comes up as a mitigating factor. One contributor describes two young, attractive female friends he has no intention of touching, but doesn't hide that a direct offer would make him reconsider. Another boasts about getting along with the vvife's friend he considers the least attractive, while the other two, described as more attractive, were ruled out of the equation. With surprising confidence, he adds that women aren't jealous.

Consensus was nowhere to be found. The only unanimous position came from the total skeptic: no male friends, no female friends, and while we're at it, absolute distrust. With arguments like these, the conclusion is that friendship between men and women remains muddy territory. And tennis, quite simply, is the perfect excuse to get close without admitting your intentions.