Can Men and Women Be Platonic Friends?
- Thread starter SonsOfCaleb
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
I read a little Plato in my college Philosophy course. What I read was introducing 'the dialectic', and I'm not sure which work of Plato it was (that was a long time ago) but think it was Statesman.
I remember it was the first reading assignment and I had mismanaged my time. It was late evening the night before class, so I tried to just skip some introduction and jump right in to reading Plato... Oh my... it was by far the most difficult reading the entire semester. I found it very difficult to decipher. When you're trying to read dialectic from an ancient two thousand and half year-old foreign culture, you might need all of that schema to understand what you're reading.
It wasn't difficult to understand Plato's concepts when they're interpreted for you in textbooks, but reading the translation directly can be a different matter.
Since then I don't think I read anything from Symposium. What's your thoughts on it, Lanolin?
I remember it was the first reading assignment and I had mismanaged my time. It was late evening the night before class, so I tried to just skip some introduction and jump right in to reading Plato... Oh my... it was by far the most difficult reading the entire semester. I found it very difficult to decipher. When you're trying to read dialectic from an ancient two thousand and half year-old foreign culture, you might need all of that schema to understand what you're reading.
It wasn't difficult to understand Plato's concepts when they're interpreted for you in textbooks, but reading the translation directly can be a different matter.
Since then I don't think I read anything from Symposium. What's your thoughts on it, Lanolin?
I've never read Plato
so, the term 'Platonic' I dont quite understand
I know what being a friend means but being a platonic friend? I dont think so. My friends have never discussed Greek philosophy with me and vice versa.
I do read an 2000 year plus old ancient text that was originally written in Greek though - its called the New Testament.
Jesus did say famously of friendship...when speaking to his disciples....I no longer call you my servants, I call you my friends
as for men and women, well the problem there is that men do treat women like (paid or unpaid) servants a lot of the time esp in marriage, and vice versa. Thats not really a friendship, thats kind of like using a person. I dont know, I guess on one hand some peeps feel the need to bribe others to be their friends.
I think friendship needs to a be a mutual thing rather than one sided. Friendship has is free though it might have obligations, I feel that men and women dont often communicate what that payment really is. Some call it love while for others its just code for s-e-x. Im sure Ive heardin christian literature people say of relationships (not friendships) that you have to fill up that 'emotional bank account' or 'tank'.
Then people talk about 'friends with benefits' well what exactly is the 'benefit' part of it.
if you watch the friends TV show 4 of the 6 friends lived together and they were always hanging out at each others apartments or coffeeshop ALL the time. No one I know really does that even when they are flatting unless they are part of a gang....!
I also feel that some people mistake people being nice or friendly for friendship. They could be polite but behind your back they only just tolerating you, like people do when they are in customer service roles. They want a customer to be happy and satsifed but not so needy that they always coming back and being too dependent on you...lol anyway
just my thoughts.
so, the term 'Platonic' I dont quite understand
I know what being a friend means but being a platonic friend? I dont think so. My friends have never discussed Greek philosophy with me and vice versa.
I do read an 2000 year plus old ancient text that was originally written in Greek though - its called the New Testament.
Jesus did say famously of friendship...when speaking to his disciples....I no longer call you my servants, I call you my friends
as for men and women, well the problem there is that men do treat women like (paid or unpaid) servants a lot of the time esp in marriage, and vice versa. Thats not really a friendship, thats kind of like using a person. I dont know, I guess on one hand some peeps feel the need to bribe others to be their friends.
I think friendship needs to a be a mutual thing rather than one sided. Friendship has is free though it might have obligations, I feel that men and women dont often communicate what that payment really is. Some call it love while for others its just code for s-e-x. Im sure Ive heardin christian literature people say of relationships (not friendships) that you have to fill up that 'emotional bank account' or 'tank'.
Then people talk about 'friends with benefits' well what exactly is the 'benefit' part of it.
if you watch the friends TV show 4 of the 6 friends lived together and they were always hanging out at each others apartments or coffeeshop ALL the time. No one I know really does that even when they are flatting unless they are part of a gang....!
I also feel that some people mistake people being nice or friendly for friendship. They could be polite but behind your back they only just tolerating you, like people do when they are in customer service roles. They want a customer to be happy and satsifed but not so needy that they always coming back and being too dependent on you...lol anyway
just my thoughts.
I have observed that Quaker friends hang out together a lot and worship in silence, but they talk a lot at other times.
There is no mention of Plato.
I also observe that they can sometimes form cliques too, like friends who have known each other for a very long time talk about things that someone new has no idea about. But the whole thing about friendship is SPENDING TIME with that person.
You have to feel safe around your friends that they are NOT going to turn on you and throw you under the bus like an enemy would do. I guess thats the trust thing. Friends would give their lives for you, because they like you not for what they can get out of it.
There is no mention of Plato.
I also observe that they can sometimes form cliques too, like friends who have known each other for a very long time talk about things that someone new has no idea about. But the whole thing about friendship is SPENDING TIME with that person.
You have to feel safe around your friends that they are NOT going to turn on you and throw you under the bus like an enemy would do. I guess thats the trust thing. Friends would give their lives for you, because they like you not for what they can get out of it.
The way the author of this thread is using the term "platonic friends" means being, or having, a very supportive and close opposite sex friend. It implies that they are not just acquaintances, but rather devoted friends, but not meaning exclusive. It's used in contrast to a romantic or sexual relationship.
The modern use the term "platonic love" has only a partial connection to Plato's writings in Symposium. The term platonic love does not exist in Symposium. In Symposium, Socrates is quoted discussing how people should advance from love of sexualized body beauty to love of the divine beauty, that of essence, soul and wisdom.
The modern use the term "platonic love" has only a partial connection to Plato's writings in Symposium. The term platonic love does not exist in Symposium. In Symposium, Socrates is quoted discussing how people should advance from love of sexualized body beauty to love of the divine beauty, that of essence, soul and wisdom.
dont you know you can only be friends with ONE woman at a time, Its like a man breaks some unspoken rule if he has more than two women friends. ..?!
but women are allowed more than one woman friends, and I am sure they can have more than one man friend.
Just make sure that your friends are also friends with each other. If they dont like each other that much well thats just gonna be a problem.
but women are allowed more than one woman friends, and I am sure they can have more than one man friend.
Just make sure that your friends are also friends with each other. If they dont like each other that much well thats just gonna be a problem.
-
1
- Show all