Strictly platonic what does this mean

It is named after Greek Plato , Platonic love as devised by Plato concerns rising through levels of closeness to wisdom and true beauty from attraction to individual bodies to attraction to souls, and eventually, union with the truth. Platonic Yes I'll do it. Being platonic means having someone who loves you for who you are without complicating it with sex.

It's an interdependent relationship and usually lasts decades if done correctly. There is no expectation , no jealousy. My best platonic friend always told me I would see the pattern more clearly as time went. Sometimes, societally, we overhype romantic relationships, as if having a boyfriend or girlfriend as a life partner is the most important thing in the world. A platonic friendship can enhance the quality of your life, challenge your perspective, and make you feel loved and supported, all without sex getting involved.

Maybe someday you and your platonic friend will move on to become more than friends. Some of the best romantic relationships start as friendships. A strong friendship is never a reason to feel disheartened. If you really admire and care for this person, then you will find that a friendship with them will be worth maintaining, even in the long run.

Regardless of your gender or sexual orientation, friendship is a reason to celebrate. So what does a healthy friendship look like? Some people say that when you find a great friend, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. That means that together, you are each better people than you are when you are separate. A great friend adds value to your life, is loyal to you, and supports you in times of need.

As you can see, there are many benefits to a platonic friendship, regardless or whether or not you become romantic partners! You can have all these benefits with someone, even if they are of the opposite sex, or of the gender that you are primarily attracted to. The dating process can put a lot of pressure on people.

You may always be nervous about what will happen and when, if there will be another date, if you are coming on too strong, or if you are moving too slow. But friendship can be a great way to get to know someone without all the added pressure of dating. Because you know you are strictly friends, you might be willing to open up about things that you would not tell a potential sexual partner. A big part of love is accepting the messy parts of another person, not just their best version.

In that way, friends get to fall in love with the real you. People are different, but many groups may share similar ways of thinking, and having a friend in that group can give you some insight as to how they behave and what you can expect.

Having a platonic friend of the opposite gender might help you gain respect for the opposite gender, and humanize them. Often in the media, the opposite sex is represented as very different from us. But having a platonic friend of the opposite sex will show you that those differences are not so great at all. If you approach her and ask about her feelings, it might be intimidating.

But if you ask your platonic friend to talk to her and find out how she feels, she might be more open about her feelings. If someone has a healthy platonic friendship, it is difficult to justify feelings of sexism, even more than if that person were your romantic partner.

When you really get to know someone in a platonic way, you see the opposite sex as a more than just a sex object, or potential romantic partners. You get to know them as people, with complex and varied feelings, emotions, and desires. For that reason, it is best to learn early on how to foster a positive relationship with the opposite sex, even when sex is not involved. This will help you in your professional life and in life in general. The greatest benefit of a strong friendship is consistent support from another person.

You could live with a community of platonic friends and share the same benefits that a romantic relationship would give you. You can care for each other in times of illness or familial strife.

You can help each other financially if one of you loses a job or has a problem with debts. But even when there is no storm, a friend is there to celebrate with you as well. On the days you have an important game, performance, exam, or something of that nature, your friend will be in the first row to cheer you on, even if they have a crazy schedule.

Having a healthy platonic friendship could be very beneficial for your mental health, because you have someone you feel comfortable talking to about many aspects of your life. Or are they there for you when you need them? When we are caught in a bad relationship, sometimes we are the last to know.

It is easy to be manipulated in an unhealthy union, but your friends always notice from the outside. Especially if it is one of your first relationships, maybe you have convinced yourself or someone has convinced you that every member of the opposite sex is a certain way. For example, if you have always had a jealous girlfriend, maybe you have concluded that women are jealous. But if you have a close, female platonic friend, she can explain to you that not all women follow those habits and maybe even go so far as to say that the amount of jealousy in your relationship is unhealthy.

A friend is also sometimes more open with you than a lover, especially if you are in a new relationship. A friend will be quicker to call you out on behavior that is annoying or strange. If you notice that your relationships keep failing, you can ask an honest, close friend for their opinion on why they think it happens. A true friend is there to help you improve, and offer insight that you might otherwise miss.

From a distance you see a man who you find attractive. But if you go up to him alone, you face the chance of being rejected, or worse, he could turn out to be a total creep. Not to mention, if you approach him, the pressure is immediately on, and both of you will probably put on false personalities to try to impress each other. You ask your best friend to talk to him first. He goes up to the guy and starts a casual conversation with him. He learns about this person in the context of friendship, without the pressure that immediately mounts as soon as you approach someone of the opposite sex in a bar.

Your best friend comes back to you and reports that the guy is happily married, he is just out for a relaxing night with friends. Your guy friend just saved you an embarrassing experience of getting rejected by a stranger at the bar, and opened up your time to meet people who might actually be interested.

They can vouch for your character and tells their friends how wonderful you are. Your platonic friend can get the phone numbers and contact information of men or women who you are interested in then pass that information along to you. Your platonic friend could invite all his or her friends to hang out with all your friends, and organize a low-pressure event where strangers can get to know each other.

Sometimes approaching someone within the context of dating can be stressful. No one wants to be rejected, and no one wants to have to reject someone. Having a close friend of the opposite sex opens up a lot of possibilities, and can make dating a lot easier for everyone involved. The truth is, when sex gets involved in a relationship, things can get very complicated. Maybe all your role models of the opposite sex have become estranged, or the relationship has otherwise become complex.

If you keep a relationship strictly platonic, then you can get to know someone of the opposite sex who is consistent. Without more stressful feelings involved, you can build a solid friendship with someone who you can depend on, and you do not need to worry about a breakup suddenly getting in the way, like you might need to worry about with a relationship. In general, there is just less pressure, which allows the friendship to be more consistent over time. Without these added complications, your friendship can show you what it really is to depend on someone of the opposite gender.

You can rely on your platonic friend to be there for you through the good times and the bad. Friendship is all about respect. That means that if your friend wants to keep things platonic, you respect their wishes even if you do not feel the same way.

When that person draws a line, or asks you to take a step back, you will do so, even when it hurts. Send us feedback. See more words from the same year. Accessed 14 Nov. Nglish: Translation of platonic for Spanish Speakers.

Britannica English: Translation of platonic for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Essential Meaning of platonic. Our relationship was strictly platonic. Full Definition of platonic. Two Meanings of Platonic The two most common senses of platonic come from the same source, yet are different enough in meaning that it is rather important to distinguish between them.

Examples of platonic in a Sentence Whereas in the more northerly clime of England the courtly lover of Malory and the Round Table tended to platonic adoration from afar, the Parisian woman already expected—and received—more earthly devotion.