After poking through the Virgin thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.73859] post-lock, I had a few ideas for some discussion to be injected, but I'm guessing the subject content was just a little too off-base for what it was supposed to be.
As such, I figured I'd start the discussion here, hopefully in a slightly more appropriate manner. So, with that boring preface out of the way, let's get into the meat of this discussion, shall we?
Being a rather social person, I tend to incline more toward social contact than any lack thereof. As such, I find myself often in positions with lots of new friends when I go new places. By some freak ability, though my female to male friend ratio is almost uniformly 3:1 no matter where I happen to be, so I find knocking on the dating door more often then not whenever I first start up with new friends.
Of course, it's a door I rarely answer, mostly because I feel like dating is an unnecessary difficulty given the melodramatic capabilities of your average 15-25 aged individuals (girls or guys, actually), so I tend to steer clear of dating, especially when I already have enough on my plate with school, work, and whatever else have you.
So, how do you relationships tend to fall out with the opposite (or same, if your tastes run that way) sex? Are you fine with being friends, do you feel that any level of intimacy demands a more rooted relationship? Dating, where do you draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable practice? Can there be good, non-sexual relationships? How about sexual, is there anything inherently wrong with them? Does it complicate things, or is it just a pass-time?
Always interesting thoughts to discuss, and I've had several conversations like these with my friends. Frankly, I don't usually like bring sexuality and "activeness" into conversations like these because it almost always opens the opportunity for people to be offended. Given the discussion going on in the other thread, though, it seems like such a topic would do well being discussed.
So, what're your thoughts on this?
As such, I figured I'd start the discussion here, hopefully in a slightly more appropriate manner. So, with that boring preface out of the way, let's get into the meat of this discussion, shall we?
Being a rather social person, I tend to incline more toward social contact than any lack thereof. As such, I find myself often in positions with lots of new friends when I go new places. By some freak ability, though my female to male friend ratio is almost uniformly 3:1 no matter where I happen to be, so I find knocking on the dating door more often then not whenever I first start up with new friends.
Of course, it's a door I rarely answer, mostly because I feel like dating is an unnecessary difficulty given the melodramatic capabilities of your average 15-25 aged individuals (girls or guys, actually), so I tend to steer clear of dating, especially when I already have enough on my plate with school, work, and whatever else have you.
So, how do you relationships tend to fall out with the opposite (or same, if your tastes run that way) sex? Are you fine with being friends, do you feel that any level of intimacy demands a more rooted relationship? Dating, where do you draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable practice? Can there be good, non-sexual relationships? How about sexual, is there anything inherently wrong with them? Does it complicate things, or is it just a pass-time?
Always interesting thoughts to discuss, and I've had several conversations like these with my friends. Frankly, I don't usually like bring sexuality and "activeness" into conversations like these because it almost always opens the opportunity for people to be offended. Given the discussion going on in the other thread, though, it seems like such a topic would do well being discussed.
So, what're your thoughts on this?
Personally, I believe the term friend should go further than most people make of it these days. I think it's strange that society, specifically American, has made kissing such a horrendously taboo thing for friends. The fact that people actively have and continue to use it as a gauge for whether or not someone is cheating on them (usually used in a sexual sense) is nigh boggling to me. Personally, I feel that outward displays of affection should mimic the level of affection they're willing to display. Sort of an extension on "Honesty is the best policy," just pertaining to how I feel about people. Granted, dating would provide a better means to that end, but sometimes, especially when this person's dating other people (woo woo, monogamy), it's a complication that serves to cause more emotional grief than simple friendships.
Ugh, I think I'm rambling. I suppose, to answer in the short, I have a friend that I've slept with (in the literal sense, not the Axe body spray sense), regularly spend time with, hugged, and pretty much uniformly assumed to be her boyfriend, but we've been friends for two years in a very close but non-sexual relationship, and I don't think I could ask for better circumstances. No needless complication, or anything of the like. Although, if she starts dating anyone, I'm screwed (metaphorically, certainly not literally).
Ugh, I think I'm rambling. I suppose, to answer in the short, I have a friend that I've slept with (in the literal sense, not the Axe body spray sense), regularly spend time with, hugged, and pretty much uniformly assumed to be her boyfriend, but we've been friends for two years in a very close but non-sexual relationship, and I don't think I could ask for better circumstances. No needless complication, or anything of the like. Although, if she starts dating anyone, I'm screwed (metaphorically, certainly not literally).
