what is the difference between a “best friend” and a “platonic friend”? how do you define “platonic friendship”?

12 comments

1. friends are platonic friends…not sure what the difference is here?

   platonic – no romantic/sexual feelings

2. A platonic friendship is a friendship without romance.

   A best friend is just a close friend – romantic or platonic.

3. All friends are platonic and if they are not then someone is lying

4. A best friend is a platonic friend tho. Platonic friendship means to me that I love a person in a strictly non romantic/ sexual way.

5. Best friend: Closest friend with whom I share all of my thoughts, including the stupid dreams and shit

   Platonic friendship: I do not want to fuck that person.

6. Platonic friend meets you for coffee

   Best friend, helps you bury that body out in the desert, no questions asked…

7. [deleted]

8. Casual friendships and acquaintances are platonic friends, I think is how you’re trying to describe it, would be those you just hang out with with no deep connection. Space fillers when you’re kind of like bored or in proximity to.

   True friendships or best friends are those where you have deep connections where you can express your authentic nature and be completely accepted understood and shown compassion in times of need.

   In my country a platonic relationship or friendship means that of opposite sex or orientation where there’s no sexual interest.

9. My relationship with a best friend is still platonic; it just means we’re closer because we have a lot of chemistry together.

   The only romantic relationship I have is with a partner, in which case I’ll be open to physical intimacy and sex (which I’m not open to in any platonic relationships/with friends).

10. Platonic just means that you are friends without romantic or sexual feelings or involvement. A best friend is the closest of your friends to you. A platonic best friend is the closest of your friends to you with whom you do not have any romantic or sexual feelings or intentions.

11. Platonic is in my eyes a broader relationship description that specifies your relationship doesn’t involve romance or sex. Like you’re friends with someone, or best friends, you have a platonic relationship with them. Your relationship with your family is also a platonic relationship (or it should be), but that’s implied due to your familial relationship so that’s why it never really comes up. Friends with benefits, however, means you don’t have a platonic relationship, you have a sexual one, but you are not romantically involved. So it doesn’t necessarily apply to friendship, it’s just most commonly applied to it because otherwise there can be confusion when people have platonic friends of the same gender that they are sexually attracted to.

    For example, if a heterosexual man hangs out with a heterosexual woman, people assume they’re together and say they can’t be “just friends”. In that scenario, “we are platonic friends” is a very important point to make and answers questions pretty succintly and in a less crude manner.

    Romantic relationship is often the next step towards a sexual relationship, but you can have a romantic relationship without sex, and sex without a romantic relarionship.

12. You mean a “platonic love”?
    In Spanish we have “platonic love” for when you love someone but dont expect anything from them. It is the base for friendship.