Friends with benefits
The lines between friends and lovers are often blurred when one or both people in the “relationship” don’t want to be in anything exclusive. They just want a quick and easy way to be physically intimate with someone they can look into again the next day. On the other hand, without fear of heartbreak, a friendly but sexual relationship can be beneficial for both people involved. It could be on a completely experimental basis or it could be on the basis of a long-term loot call; strictly for when either person is not involved in a relationship with anyone else. There are pros and cons of the friends with benefits situation that you may need to know before launching into that kind of “relationship.”
Pros: Despite what you may believe, an FWB situation is still a relationship of sorts and needs to be handled with care. Unfortunately, people who jump into being friends with benefits often forget to tell each other what they really want and end up hurting themselves. So what should you look for in a successful FWB relationship?
• Casual sex. After all, privacy comes first when it comes to FWB. Sex is usually very passionate and uninhibited because both parties have agreed to avoid anything more emotional than just sex. It’s the epitome of every booty call you’ve ever received because when your FWB rings, you’ll be the worst ending to an amazing, untethered sexual experience!
• There is always a comfort level that has been set for years or even months of being friends with someone. So, sometimes, it is easier to take that friendship to a more sensitive destination because you are used to touching this person and being close already. If you’ve been the best of friends so far, the pressure to impress each other is not as inflexible a feeling as it would be in a new romantic relationship. You are freer to be yourself because you have already shown this person exactly who you are and what it is about through an ordinary friendship.
Cons: The downside to an FWB relationship is common, but can be easily fixed if both people understand the limits of the situation. In a perfect world, you could have a safe and unattached sexual encounter with your friends without repercussions. However, we are far from living in such a perfect world, which is why FWB relationships are just as prone to failure as exclusive romantic relationships. What are the downsides of being in a FWB relationship?
• Over time, someone in the status of friends with benefits may begin to feel emotions that lead to stronger feelings for you; or vice versa. While being in love and being exclusive was not part of the agreement, it happens when you spend a lot of time with another person, especially in an intimately physical atmosphere. Sometimes you may be affected by emotions difficult to control for another person and this could not only ruin your FWB relationship, but also set your friendship back several points. Sex has the ability to change everything, and sometimes hurting yourself in a FWB relationship can be unavoidable.
• Jealousy! That’s right. Friends with benefits are not immune to the creeping green-eyed monster of their emotions. An FWB relationship usually comes with the idea that both people will stop having an intimate moment when either person becomes involved in a new romantic relationship. As with any friendship, this can cause jealousy when the other lover is neglected so that your friend can pursue a relationship that does not involve them.
Friends with benefits can be all that is said in the movies and in the media if you know what you are dealing with. If you have the potential to be in an untethered situation with a close friend, protect yourself and reach out before it goes too far.