Platonic Relationship -Definition & Why You Need it?
What Are Platonic Relationships: For upon |There are many types of relationships, and in this post, we’ll talk more about platonic relationships, also known as platonic love.
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What Is a Platonic Relationship?
The idea of what a platonic relationship is has evolved over the years. The person who came up with the concept was the philosopher Plato, whose name makes the term.
His definition of platonic love differs from the modern interpretation. His definition of love was one that wasn’t about lust, but instead love that would bring you closer to the divine, and bring out the best traits. It applied to all forms of relationships.
The modern definition of platonic love still has some of Plato’s ideas, such as the idea of a bond that brings the best out of the two of you, but platonic love now centers around the idea of two people “being just friends.”
This usually applies to two heterosexual people of the opposite sexes, but it can apply to same-sex as well. In other words, the two of you are good friends, but there is no sexual activity involved. Friends with benefits is not a platonic relationship.
So the opposite of a platonic relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship.
Platonic Love vs. Unrequited Love
Platonic love should not be confused with unrequited love. In this relationship, one party has romantic feelings for the other, and the other person does not have the same feelings and just sees them as a friend. While the two may remain, friends, the elephant in the room is always hovering over them, and the relationship is never truly platonic.
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A relationship of unrequited love can bring forth envy when the person is in a relationship, and its ulterior motive makes it a bad candidate for a platonic relationship. This makes a truly platonic relationship hard to come by. It’s rare that a heterosexual pair of friends of the opposite sex doesn’t have at least some attraction on either side. In a heterosexual relationship, it’s common for the male to be the one who has feelings for the woman, while the woman is the one who may not be interested. However, the opposite can occur as well.
There are cases where this can happen, though. Besides there not being any unrequited love, there are other characteristics of a platonic relationship.
Characteristics Of A Platonic Relationship
To have a great platonic relationship, you need to have these characteristics:
Honesty
This applies to any friendship or relationship. A platonic relationship is formed of honest motives. Honesty is magnified in a good platonic relationship, as the two of you aren’t in a sexual relationship, so you don’t have anything to lose. You don’t worry about them leaving you like you would a lover. There is no great commitment, and the two of you are open to any questions. The two of you like to express your feelings and even have moments when you don’t talk to each other.
Boundaries
Any relationship has boundaries, and these boundaries are usually not talked about, but instead form organically. Some platonic friends love to be naked together, but it’s not a sexual aspect. Others may want to keep their privacy. Any boundaries, can change in time, and the two of you may see how far your boundaries stretch, but ultimately, you respect what you have. Crossing boundaries often may be a sign that your relationship isn’t so platonic.
Fewer Expectations
A platonic relationship has fewer expectations than a romantic relationship. Sure, friends do have some expectations of each other, but the two of you are not life partners. This can make a platonic relationship great, as there are fewer rules to follow, and when the rules are broken, they’re not as harsh. You don’t expect to share everything. You may worry about them on occasion, but you’re not up at night wondering what they’re doing. Being clingy to your friend may mean that there is more there than just a friendship.
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Can A Platonic Relationship Become Romantic?
You may have an honest platonic relationship, where there were no sexual or romantic feelings for one another at the start. However, there is always a chance that a platonic relationship can turn into a romantic one. Mindsets change, and some people have to have a deep connection before they have any romantic relationship.
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A platonic relationship becoming romantic can be either the next step in your relationship, or it can be what comes crashing down if the feelings are unrequited. Here are some signs that there may be more to your relationship.
- There is flirting going on. Sometimes, platonic friends may jokingly make flirty remarks, but when it becomes excessive, and there is clear intent that there is more going on than just a non-sexual relationship, it can raise some eyebrows.
- There is too much attachment. Clinginess is a clear sign that you share romantic feelings for that someone. It’s okay to miss your friends every once in a while, but if you can’t live without talking to your friend, there may be an attraction.
- You’re always talking about your platonic friend to other people. While you may talk about your friendships, you’re usually not talking about your friend obsessively to another person. Be aware of how much you discuss your friendship with others.
- You fantasize and discuss sex. If you ever had a fantasy or a dream about having sex with your platonic friend, it can be a sign that you have romantic feelings for them. These can, of course, spill over into your platonic relationship. As for discussing sex, while the two of you may discuss many topics, if the two of you go into intimate detail about your sex lives, this could be a sign that something more is brewing.
- One sign is that you just don’t know the difference between being friendly and being passionate. In other words, you feel more than just support and friendliness towards your friend, instead, it becomes a passion, which can evolve into romantic feelings.
- Boundaries are always being crossed. If you’re attracted to someone, you may be crossing boundaries, sometimes without even realizing it. For example, you may pull yourself closer to your friend than what is usually comfortable.
If you find yourself having romantic feelings towards your friend, what do you do?
By expressing your feelings, you may discover that your friend also has feelings for you. However, if they don’t, it can make the friendship very awkward. A friendship usually doesn’t return to the status quo when it’s discovered there is unrequited love.
Instead of expressing your feelings outright, you can always look for hints that your friend likes you back, or drop hints of your own and see if they take the bait. One way you can do this is to be subtly flirty. If your friend like you back, they may flirt back. If they don’t, they may ignore your hint, and you can safely realize that it’s a one-sided love.
With that said, what happens when you catch feelings for a friend, and they don’t have those feelings back? You want to be friends still, but you don’t want that tension of having unrequited love. At best, it’s an awkward air, and at worst, it can ruin your friendship for good, and no one wants that.
Sometimes, the best solution would be to give yourself some space from your friend.
Friendships often have breaks where the two of you are doing your own thing. Take some time to find other people. Go on dates. Who knows? You may find someone who is a better fit for you, and you can return to your friendship with the romantic feelings gone and be able to have a good friendship. What Are Platonic Relationships?
This isn’t the case all the time. If you still have feelings, then you may want to let the friend go. Dealing with your romantic feelings may not be the best option, as bottling up your emotions never ends well.
To summarize, platonic relationships can work well, but we are all human. Sometimes, we catch feelings, and it can make the relationship more difficult. A true platonic relationship, where neither of you has sexual or romantic feelings, is quite rare, and it should be cherished.
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Seek Help!
If you have any concerns about your friendship, or you want to talk to someone about your feelings for someone, one way you can deal with the problem is by talking to a counselor.
There is no shame in seeking a professional when you have problems with your friends. You can unleash your feelings in front of the counselor, and they will tell you some solutions you can take to resolve your problems, such as learning techniques to move on from any of your feelings, or learning how to express your romantic interest without possibly losing your friendship.
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