Poll: Friendship between Men and Women or The Ladder Theory

[Dragoonit]

Do you agree with the Ladder Theory?

The theory states that men have a sliding scale (or ladder) ranking every woman they meet on how much they would like to have sex with her. Women have two ladders for ranking men they find sexually attractive and men they consider friends. Since men have only one ladder, the theory states that heterosexual men and women can never be friends.

Here is a link that explains it further:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5401321_ladder-theory.html

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

No. It seems incredibly sexist to me, and I know plenty of women that I haven't even considered the notion of sex with but still consider them very close friends.

Anyway, where would my mum come on this?

 

[RatRace123]

There's no rule saying that you can't want to have sex with your friends.
So, I don't agree with it.

Um, not that I want to have sex with my female friends, I'm just saying you can have a friendship and belligerent sexual tension at the same time.

And plenty of people can be friends with the opposite gender and not want to do them, contrary to the feminist propganda, men don't always think with their dicks.

 

[Berethond]

That's bullshit.
I have tons of female friends whom I would not like to have sex with.

 

[Edorf]

I bet this ladder theory was created by a woman (yes, sexism goes both ways!). Damn feminists...

 

[Dragoonit]

That's bullshit.
I have tons of female friends whom I would not like to have sex with.

Just curious, but does that mean those females fall down further on your "ladder" ?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Total fabrication. The problem is that men think they would have sex with ANY woman. That's the lower brain thinking. It only has a short attention span, and after a bit - usually while working with them and seeing them scratch their ass - it dies down and the higher brain takes over.

The REAL problem is that I'm certain it also applies to most humans meeting humans for the first time. There's only one ladder, and everyone uses it.

And getting drunk can remove a LOT of rungs.

Oh, also bullshit - Women think less about sex than men do, and that Men think about sex every N seconds.

 

[Zinkraptor]

That theory ranks all the way at the top of my "complete bullshit" ladder.

I have tons of female friends that I am not interested in pursuing sexual relationships with.

This was most likely thought up by some woman who sincerely believes that all men think with their dick.

 

[TriGGeR_HaPPy]

Yea, seriously, no. Those who agree generally say something along the lines of "You do want to sleep with your female friends; you just don't want to say it".
No. Gtfo.
I've got quite a few friends, and the majority of them are female. And out of my "best friends", quite a few of them are female too.. Just because I'm a guy does not mean I'm only their friend because I want to sleep with them.

I have more objections to the theory too, that are perhaps more directly related to the theory, but the above is the most important to me - I'm sick of this stereotype floating around, and the Ladder Theory just helps to keep it out there.

EDIT:

...
This was most likely thought up by some woman who sincerely believes that all men think with their dick.

I bet this ladder theory was created by a woman (yes, sexism goes both ways!). Damn feminists...

Actually, wasn't it made by a guy?...

 

[manaman]

It's a crock OP, a total crock.

At least in my experience. There are several women in my circle of friends that I have no romantic interest in, and am very good friends with.

Yea, seriously, no. Those who agree generally say something along the lines of "You do want to sleep with your female friends; you just don't want to say it".

Now now, there are female friends of mine that I would not mind sleeping with in the slightest. Sex and a romantic interest are two separate things. There are a couple of not so close friends that I find very attractive and have some romantic interest in, but they are for various reason unavailable to me. Then there are friends I have no romantic interest, but find attractive, and last the ones I don't find attractive and have no interest in.

 

[baddude1337]

Well my best friend is a girl and I don't even think of her in that way so it's total BS.

 

[Chronarch]

Hmm, judging by the fact that I don't really care about sex at all and that I go more by intelligence when I rate a woman I believe this theory has a few chasms in it.

 

[El Poncho]

One of my best friends is female so I disagree with saying they can never be friends...

 

[Zinkraptor]

...
This was most likely thought up by some woman who sincerely believes that all men think with their dick.

Actually, wasn't it made by a guy?...

Was it? Huh.

In that case, you'd think they'd have a better grasp on how their own mind works. Unless they actually think like that. Which would be... pretty weird.

 

[Berethond]

That's bullshit.
I have tons of female friends whom I would not like to have sex with.

Just curious, but does that mean those females fall down further on your "ladder" ?

There is no ladder.
They're just people who I don't want to have sex with.

 

[Dragoonit]

That's bullshit.
I have tons of female friends whom I would not like to have sex with.

Just curious, but does that mean those females fall down further on your "ladder" ?

There is no ladder.
They're just people who I don't want to have sex with.

I respect that, but you seem quick to reject the theory. In order to see if a theory truly works you have to test the theory with an experiment, not just hypothesize. Give it a try!

 

[Lilani]

I find things like this to be incredibly simplistic and pointless. Every single person is different, and handles social situations in different manners. To boil down everyone's wants, likes, fears, desires, and overall social behavior into one, rudimentary theory is pretentious and naive.

And I find theories like this pointless in general. Finding ONE way that men and women MIGHT perceive each other solves nothing. This theory might be true for a handful of individuals, but it does nothing to try and break down the complexities of relationships for everybody else. I don't see how this could help anybody in the long run. All it does is reinforce and validate all of the stereotypical behaviors and "traditional" gender roles society has built up since the stone age.

Why don't these psychologists spend their time investigating schizophrenia and antisocial behaviors? You know, things that could bear fruit that could actually help society in the future?

 

[Berethond]

That's bullshit.
I have tons of female friends whom I would not like to have sex with.

Just curious, but does that mean those females fall down further on your "ladder" ?

There is no ladder.
They're just people who I don't want to have sex with.

I respect that, but you seem quick to reject the theory. In order to see if a theory truly works you have to test the theory with an experiment, not just hypothesize. Give it a try!

I did, several years ago.
It did not work out.