How to have friends of the other sex, in 7 keys

Some people live worried because they do not see the way to start a conversation and friendship with people of the other sex. Various myths and taboos may be the cause of this distance that is sometimes created between men and women.

How to have friends of the other sex

In this article we are going to discover some guidelines and tips to get rid of certain prejudices and build friendship between people of a different sex to ours.

1. Discard prejudices

In the event that you have not had, or do not have, friends of the other sex, try to review why. Is it just coincidence? Is there any prejudice on your part? Is it the prejudices of others? If they are yours, what would you need to dilute them?

2. Value your friendships

Make a list of friends of the other sex that you have had throughout your life, it does not matter if there were many, a few or just one. What did that friendship bring you? How was it different from a relationship with friends of the same sex? Did you learn anything from the opposite sex about that bond?

3. Approach the opposite sex

If you are one of those people who, in social gatherings, limit themselves to interacting with those of the same sex, whether you are in a relationship or not, make the resolution to change this next time. Join the “hers” (if you are a man) or “them” (if you are a woman) group and stay there for as long as you can. You will see that, After a while, and if you leave behind certain prejudices both on your part and the group, you will begin to discover interesting things, be it in the topics that are talked about, in the attitudes and so on. Repeat this as often as you can. You will begin to see those of the opposite sex with different eyes, you will begin to be received in a different way and soon you will have friends who will open your own perspective on relationships between people of different sex.

4. Ask a friend for advice

Among your friends, work colleagues or acquaintances, choose a person of the opposite sex, tell him something that is important to you –although it should not necessarily be an intimacy or a confession–. Ask for their opinion, a comment or advice. Promise to tell him how it went and thank you for the attention. Compare how your request for advice is received when you do the same with someone of your gender. Perhaps you will begin to enrich yourself with the diversity that arises from contact with a different perspective in terms of gender. Do not forget to tell that person “I need the opinion (or the point of view) of a man (or a woman if you are a man)”. Make it clear that you approached with a specific purpose and without any ulterior motives.

5. Set limits

There may be times when you need to clearly and firmly set boundaries about a possible romantic or sexual relationship.. If you are building a bond of friendship and the other person enters ambiguous territory, it is good that you state your purposes. It’s easier to have sex than friendship with someone of the opposite sex, so when two people choose each other as friends, it’s good that they honor the bond. Otherwise, it may be that one of the two is taking advantage of the other or that the relationship does not go much further.

6. Tell your partner

If you are in a relationship and you have friends of the other sex, include your story about your encounters with them in conversations with your partner.. Also, ask your partner for their opinion about things that happen to you with these friends. This will allow you to live and naturally admit –and also to your partner– the experience of different types of bonding with people of the other sex without the need for misunderstandings.

7. Share activities

If you already have a friendship bond with someone of the other sex, or if you intend to build such a bond, try to include shared activities in it. In this way, you will not exhaust yourself only in talk and words, which can lead to the risk of deviations due to boredom. Shared activities – shopping, watching a movie, going to the theater, sharing a course, playing sports – mobilize and produce energyand therefore broaden the horizons of the friendly bond.