I cannot be friends with men

I was begining to think it was odd that in 23 years I had never achieved a close friendship with a straight guy. Whenever I realised I was enjoying spending time with a guy friend he started flirting or asked me out. Every. Single. Time.

The most flattering conclusion I could draw is that I am abnormally attractive and thus irresistible. However I have 2 sisters very similar looking to me, both of whom have their own crop of heterosexual male friends.

The problem, I think, stems from my personality; I have a messed up sense of humour, I listen to metal and “emo” music and wear band merch and bold makeup and especially when I was younger I was very into nerdy fandoms. These all combined into a marmite love-me-or-hate-me type personality where guys either found me completely disinteresting or saw me as “their type” and quickly coded me as girlfriend/fuck buddy potential. There doesn’t seem to be a “middle ground” of platonic friendship between these two extremes.

So basically I propose that I can’t be friends with straight men because I’m too polarising. Does anyone else feel the same? Have you observed a similar phenomenon with the weirder girls you know?

Voting Results
53% Normal
Based on 36 votes (19 yes)
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Comments ( 27 )
  • Nikclaire

    At 23 it's time to give up the emo/fanboy look and be a normal person.

    You can still geek out, but once out of HS I mean, all it does it paint a target on your back.

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    • Fanboy? I’m a girl. And a target on my back for what exactly? I’ve received approximately 0 fashion-related insults from the general public. I think you’re the only one that cares.

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      • Nikclaire

        Why would I gaf what a random internet girl looks like?

        Edit: BTW I like that look.

        Based on your post, YOU made the correlation to your emo, fandom look, otherwise why bring all that up.

        Call me clueless as to what you're looking for in a response since you just seem get defensive at everyone's suggestions.

        Maybe your attitude is causing this. Most guys probably just want to fuck you, but don't want anything to do with you, due to your abrasive attitude.

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      • Actually, the image you project has a lot to do with the type of people you attract. Most average, straight guys aren't going to gravitate toward nerdy emo fandom chicks in bright make up and metal band t-shirts. The guys that do will either want to fuck you or play Fortnite.

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        • My image attracts certain people more? No shit Sherlock.

          And who said I have any interest in average guys as friends or otherwise?

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          • "No shit, Sherlock"? LOL, oh man. You're really 23?

            Are you always so defensive? Do you always talk to people like they're so far beneath you? I think that's your problem. You're way too into yourself. What guy wants that for a friend? Maybe get some pointers from your sisters since they obviously aren't dealing with the personality issues that you are. You might learn a thing or two about yourself. Good luck.

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  • cupcake_wants

    I kind of know what you're going through. It may be that when you are around the guys you think of as friends, you are yourself and that is attractive. I have had the same kind of thing. Whenever I have a guy friend that I think of as only that, he likes me as more, but he knows he's stuck in the friend zone and he has to accept it.

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    • I see what you mean, ironically not trying to get someone to find you attractive can do exactly that. Until you want it to that is...

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  • dimwitted

    "I am abnormally attractive and thus irresistible "...you do think highly of yourself. However men of your age see fucakable and nonfuckable. You're someone to be used and discarded. So get over yourself.

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    • If you had actually bothered to read the whole post you would know that I refute that hypothesis and suggest my maramite personality is at the heart of the issue.

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  • I’ve had shitty luck too. My best friend I ever had at the time for years ended when all he’d say to me was sexual things or try and talk about how big his dick is to me. We were close too but it was obvious his intentions tho he knew I’m not interested. He was always flirty in general but he really would try and get whatever he can. Which was another thing he was taken while he was his worst toward me.

    I’ve had lots of guys be nice and hangout with me and it’s awesome but none stay when they find out I’m taken or not interested. It’s shitty. I used to think I hate when people say opposite genders can’t be friends cause that’s untrue. But I haven’t had much luck with that myself.

    I’ve gotten along better with guys in the past. Probably one of the bigger things that makes me talk with guys more is my interest in cars I connect with guys more on that but almost every one so far turns it sexual. Can a lady express her love for cars fuck. The sexism I experience with this too is a whole nother damn story. I often avoid talking about the things I love talking about most.

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    • Sorry about your experience with your previous friend. I was very into rock climbing a few years ago which was maybe 65-70% male, so there were guys who clearly thought, “Omg a girl who climbs and likes some stuff I like - I must persue her!”. There were like 5 in 2 months once it was ridiculous.

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      • Thanks and yours too. Well damn. I can understand that when I was in college I had a few guys trying to talk to me a lot and ask if the seat beside me was taken in an empty room. Only in classes for my subject too. Made me not even wanna try and talk to them cause I felt like it was just gunna end shitty. One asked for my instagram then saw a pic with my bf on there and stopped talking to me. When he saw it he got up and walked away at least that one ended fast and ik what he was in for. They all kinda ended fast anyway when I dropped out but I have a feeling it wasn’t going to be a friendship with any. That’s so true tho even the simplest of interests and you get attacked with a flock.

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  • bbrown95

    I am a girl and have a small group of heterosexual male friends, but they're pretty geeky/nerdy and I think they're more focused on video games and such than girls. I've also known most of them since we were kids, so that may be part of it. If any of them would like to be more than friends, they've kept it to themselves and have done a good job of hiding it.

    Sometimes my best friend acts like he'd like to be with me again (we dated very briefly in high school and you could barely call it a relationship), but he doesn't push and has also agreed with me that he thinks it's best that we just stay friends.

    I have had a couple in the past want to be more than friends and kept begging over and over again after I had politely told them I wasn't interested, but that was only maybe one or two.

    I'm not sure why guys are acting that way towards you, to be honest. Has it been a lot of guys, or just a few? Also, what age group are you in? I find that this is most common as teenagers and early 20's (at least that's when it happened to me).

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    • I’m 23 so maybe it will calm down in a few years? I’ve found that when I know guys in groups they’re normal with me but once we strike up a “proper” friendship and start messaging eachother one-on-one the awkward flirting starts to surface. Perhaps I should just keep them in group settings in future.

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      • bbrown95

        That might help. My male friends originated from my lunch group in high school and we pretty much only see each other when it's a group setting. The only one I ever spend one on one time with is my best friend.

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  • StopConformingStartLeading

    Men like (borderline-Aspie?) weird girls like that, as they like to fuck. They are often more straight-up about sex... in my experience...
    men like sex with the LEAST amount of bullshit possible, not the most challenge, a lot of the time. When we're already competing with women in the workplace, then having to do the 'equal' (not!) work of seduction and paying for meals, whatever, is a real grind, even for attractive women that motivate us to WANT to in the first place. The overall picture is just sullied.
    So, men want what they want, and don't blame them for being men.
    I know women out there who fuck anything that moves, steal their friends' boyfriends or fuck-buddies, are two-faced as fuck, and then complain that a man might touch their bottom when they're drunk walking down the street wanting the attention. They can't handle their sexual power with any honour, yet expect men to reciprocate this non-existent decency. THAT kind of hypocrisy is the REAL problem out there. If you can manage to avoid that, and not abuse men and vice-versa, then enjoy life and appreciate it.
    What's the problem?
    So when there's a sexy-enough, alternative-thinking, perhaps DTF woman available, men might be more likely to push for sex.

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  • raisinbran

    Tell them you're a lesbian and not interested in men, from the start.

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  • Cuntsiclestick

    In my experience, when it comes to being friends with guys, it's mostly either one or the other:
    The guy sees me as more than a friend, acts on it, I reject him, and I have to end the friendship
    or
    If he has no interest in me sexually, his girlfriend will accuse me of trying to take him and will proceed to follow me around and make threats or force him to end the friendship. I usually get stuck dealing with the first type of woman. XD

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  • bigbudchonga

    Tbf, this sounds like fair reasoning. I can see how the person you describe would have the effects you've outlined on men.

    You could probably get some soyboy and friendzone him, but I'm guessing that's not what you're after?

    Also, do you like Warhammer and Runescape?

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  • Korpral_varangian

    Males tend to flirt jokingly too I know I do even to other males yet I'm not attracted to them . Them being the foul creatures they are

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  • Clunk42

    So, whenever a male friend of your's asks you out, you just end the friendship? I don't get why someone asking you on a date would end your friendship.

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  • litelander8

    Same here. I still have tons of dude friends. I just tell them to piss offehen they try to get fresh.

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  • mauzi

    Yep, I’ve found it only works out if they either already have a gf, are age 30+, or high functioning autistic

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    • That actually sounds sensible, those types of guys would be less tuned into potential fuck-buddies.

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  • cupcake_wants

    One thing to add. Chris Rock told a joke in his stand up routine that is very true. I thought it could give you some insight. He said, "Girls have friends that are guys. Guys just know girls they haven't slept with yet". You also gotta realize "guy" mentality. When you can think like a guy, you can understand them better.

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    • McBean

      And you can friend zone them better.

      https://lifehacks.io/7-ways-to-friendzone-a-guy/

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