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Watch more Friendship Advice videos: http://www.howcast.com/videos/417469-How-to-Have-a-Platonic-Relationship-with-Someone-of-the-Opposite-Sex
When enough is enough and you just want to have a friend _ without_ benefits, lose the sexual tension and have a platonic relationship.
Step 1: Know your feelings
Know your feelings, and make sure you want to just be friends with a member of the opposite sex.
Step 2: Define the relationship
Define the relationship as friendship. Before any conflicting feelings arise, make sure both of you are on the same page about your relationship.
Step 3: Deal with sexual tension
Deal with any sexual tension that arises. Physical attraction may present itself every now and then, and both of you will have to overcome momentary feelings of lust.
Step 4: Avoid romance
Avoid potentially romantic situations, like late-night dinners alone or other intimate settings.
Tip
Be cautious about engaging in a platonic relationship with a former lover.
Step 5: Be equal
Treat each other as equals in your platonic relationship. Neither person should play a submissive role in the friendship, and both should avoid leading on their friend.
Step 6: Ignore skepticism
Ignore public skepticism. Most people think that members of the opposite sex can’t be friends without it leading to something more. Ignore naysayers and enjoy your relationship.
Step 7: Know the benefits
Know the benefits of having a friend of the opposite sex. You get someone to confide in and someone you can have fun with without dealing with emotional baggage. Both people gain insight into how the opposite sex thinks and feels.
Did You Know?
The Greek philosopher Plato expressed a belief that the the most admirable lovers move from love of the physical to love of the intellectual.