It’s the age-old question: can men and women ever be ‘just friends’? We hate to burst your bubble ladies, but according to some new research, what Harry told Sally in the 1989 film is true: attraction always gets in the way.
The Irish Daily Mail reports that researchers have discovered that contrary to popular belief, men’s friendships with the opposite sex are actually driven purely by sexual attraction, regardless of whether they are single or not.
Unsurprisingly, us women folk are far more likely to consider our friendships with men as being platonic. Yeah, sounds about right, doesn’t it ladies?
According to researchers, the study had “potential negative consequences” for people who were in long-term relationships, mainly because the temptation to hop into bed with a friend of the opposite sex grew stronger if a person’s relationship was in trouble.
When Harry Met Sally: Does sex always get in the way?
As part of the research, 88 pairs of male and female friends were asked to rate their attraction to each other. It sounds mortifying, but the friends were told that their answers would remain confidential.
The results showed that men (whether they were single or attached) were more likely to be attracted to their female friend. Meanwhile the women weren’t as interested. We should probably note that the men also assumed that their female friends were much more interested in them than they actually were.
What do you think? Is there any truth in this? Do you think it’s impossible for women and men to remain friends without the sex part getting in the way?
