Why It’s Good to Have a Best Friend of the Opposite Gender

There are many pros to having a friend of the opposite sex. Getting advice on how to woo a potential mate was considered very helpful by the participants of a study. The women also revealed that they felt their male friends offered them protection. But, of course, these aren’t the only benefits.

Here at Bright Side, we’ve compiled a list of ways this type of friendship can enrich our lives.

1. You get a fresh point of view.

Getting opinions from people who see and experience the world in a different way than we do is invaluable. Having access to the way they think can help us navigate situations we may be going through in other aspects of our lives, like work, family, and romantic relationships.

It allows us to better understand the situation and could help resolve issues that may be troubling us.

2. You always have a backup partner.

If you’re single, having a friend of the opposite sex means having a partner in crime for those times when we don’t want to attend an event solo. We can always ask a friend to be a “plus one.”

The only downside is getting asked if you’re a couple, but having a friend to share those awkward moments with makes it a little easier.

3. You can have a great wing person.

Approaching someone can be daunting, especially when you don’t know if they’re single or what their situation is. That’s when a friend of the opposite sex can be of assistance.

If your friend approaches a person of the same sex, they can have a casual conversation with no pressure, gather intel, and find out a little bit about them.

4. You can improve your communication skills.

Spending time with a platonic friend can improve our communication skills. It’s easy to talk to our friends, open up to them, and talk about things that might be difficult. They listen and give their advice and solace. Sharing with someone of the opposite sex can make us feel more confident sharing ideas and opinions.

We have to communicate with all types of people in our day-to-day life, and having a cross-sex friendship can make those interactions easier to maneuver.

5. You can speak openly about your feelings.

Some males find it difficult to open up to their male friends, compared to female-female friendships. In cross-sex friendships, confiding in a friend can be valuable since we can speak openly with them, especially when it comes to talking about our feelings.

6. You can get help picking gifts.

Buying gifts can be difficult, especially for members of the opposite sex, but getting the advice of a friend of that sex can give you insight or ideas for what special gifts to get for loved ones.

7. You can do new activities you may not have otherwise tried.

Friends usually bond over some sort of mutual interests, but part of a friendship is trying new things together and learning about each other’s hobbies and activities outside of the shared passions.

Saying there are male/female activities is antiquated, but there are things the opposite sex is less likely to be targeted for through advertising. Having a friend of the opposite sex can open us up to trying those things.

What about you, do you have friends of the opposite sex? Or do you know of any male-female friendships that are tried and true?

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