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There is nothing inherently wrong with having a friend from the opposite sex. While many may find this to be a contentious notion, it is possible to have a platonic heterosexual friendship.
The only time it gets troublesome is if one of you allows it to happen, much like what the man in today’s story did. He gave so much importance to everything his female BFF told him that he completely neglected his romantic partner’s feelings.
The girlfriend is now at a loss as to what to do next, as she has begun to rethink her relationship.
RELATED:
Heterosexual friendships can only be problematic if one person allows it to happen
Couple arguing on couch, woman upset after cheating revealed involving astrology-obsessed friend and Cancer star sign.
Men and women have different views about opposite-sex friendships
There’s a reason why many people refuse to believe that platonic relationships between heterosexual men and women are complicated, even impossible. A study published in the Evolutionary Psychological Science found that men mentally define a woman as someone they are “attracted to and would pursue given the opportunity.”
Meanwhile, women perceive the relationship in black and white terms, simply as “a friend of the opposite sex.”
Another study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships revealed that men consistently overestimated the level of attraction from their female friends, while women underestimated it. Researchers also found that men were more willing to act on their misguided notion.
This has led many to conclude that straight men and women can’t “just be friends” unless everyone adopts the thinking of the latter. But is this really the case?
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Today’s youth disagrees. A 2023 survey by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA revealed the existence of “nomance,” in which young people are more about having “feel-good character relationships.”
As UNC Greensboro sociology professor Rebecca Adams tells The Atlantic, more people are now aware of the importance of friendship, “that our fate is not just determined by our families of origin, but our ‘chosen’ families.”
Back to the story, it wouldn’t have been a problem if the man kept healthy boundaries in his friendship. However, he chose to let it ruin his relationship instead. The woman did the right thing by breaking up, because as she saw, her ex-partner’s behavior was not going to change.
The woman answered some reader questions, as people gave it to her straight
Screenshot of an online discussion about a woman dumping her cheating boyfriend and astrology-related drama involving a Cancer sign.
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Comment discussing a Cancer woman dealing with boyfriend cheating involving an astrology-obsessed female friend and relationship stability advice.
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Comment about relationship breakup advice involving cheating and astrology-obsessed friend with Cancer zodiac reference.
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Comment about ex-wife’s behavior linked to zodiac sign Sagittarius and distrust of astrology-obsessed dating profiles.
Alt text: Screenshot of a comment about a woman dumping her cheating boyfriend and mentioning Cancer astrology traits.
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Woman looking upset at boyfriend on phone, highlighting cheating and astrology obsession with Cancer zodiac sign reference.
People shared their reactions to the new developments
Comments discussing a cheating boyfriend blaming astrology and Cancer zodiac sign for relationship issues.
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Woman dumps boyfriend for cheating with astrology-obsessed friend, he blames it on her being a Cancer star sign.
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I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.
I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.
As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, my favorite part of the job involves browsing the web for the cutest cat pics, the funniest memes and eye-catching illustrations to brighten up your day!
As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, my favorite part of the job involves browsing the web for the cutest cat pics, the funniest memes and eye-catching illustrations to brighten up your day!
It is all the same irrational cult s**t used to justify inner ugliness that coalesces in shame and self-hatred... This lets this kind of low to no accountability people persist...
That last comment is so accurate... Seen it countless times with s**t attributed to "allah willng it" and "written destiny" all to remove accountability...
Erm astrology is not a cult lol it’s extremely interesting , but it’s far from a cult ! unlike religion that is , ! that bf is using it as a reason NOT to be with op , cos he’s to f kin spineless to man up n tell her like any normal human would 😂oh n the s k a n k splitting em up has 100% got her shite a r s e backwards 😂I am in to it n her reasoning is erm h,m DELUDED done to make the idiot bloke leave op for her NOTHING MORE 😂
using something external to actually justify bad behaviour and remove accountability is the cult s**t i mean.
Otherwise it is what Suzie said : "Don't date someone who uses astrology as anything more than entertainment purposes."
I used to read the predictions for all the signs & then decide that the one that was most favorable was mine. Like if Leo's prediction was "Beware of financial decisions today; best to hold on to your funds for now" and Scorpio's was "Astral influences may cause stress, making today a good day to buy yourself a little treat" you KNOW that I'm gonna be a Scorpio for a day.
It is all the same irrational cult s**t used to justify inner ugliness that coalesces in shame and self-hatred... This lets this kind of low to no accountability people persist...
That last comment is so accurate... Seen it countless times with s**t attributed to "allah willng it" and "written destiny" all to remove accountability...
Erm astrology is not a cult lol it’s extremely interesting , but it’s far from a cult ! unlike religion that is , ! that bf is using it as a reason NOT to be with op , cos he’s to f kin spineless to man up n tell her like any normal human would 😂oh n the s k a n k splitting em up has 100% got her shite a r s e backwards 😂I am in to it n her reasoning is erm h,m DELUDED done to make the idiot bloke leave op for her NOTHING MORE 😂
using something external to actually justify bad behaviour and remove accountability is the cult s**t i mean.
Otherwise it is what Suzie said : "Don't date someone who uses astrology as anything more than entertainment purposes."
I used to read the predictions for all the signs & then decide that the one that was most favorable was mine. Like if Leo's prediction was "Beware of financial decisions today; best to hold on to your funds for now" and Scorpio's was "Astral influences may cause stress, making today a good day to buy yourself a little treat" you KNOW that I'm gonna be a Scorpio for a day.
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