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Friend or Lover
A lover necessarily needs to be a friend but the contrary may not be always true. Love presupposes friendship but friendship does not presuppose friendship. Love goes beyond the perspective of friendship where the physical relationship also comes into being. Friendship calls for only a Platonic relationship but love calls for a physical relationship. This sort of love can take place between people of opposite sexes, but friendship can happen between people of any gender.
Friendship can lead to love and many a time friendship between the opposite sexes has in fact led to love and a continued and committed relationship. Such relationships which thrive on friendship are always found to be long lasting at least if not everlasting. Love implies friendship where there is no friendship and a sincere one at that love cannot survive.
We so many times hear people saying, 'we are just good friends, nothing more than that' what does this mean? What does nothing more mean? If not the physical relationship and an intension to make the relationship a more committed one?
It is always said 'A friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed'. We can understand that he is a true friend who is always ready to come to our rescue in times of all our needs. What about a lover? Doesn't he or she spring to our side when we most require them? Then will there be any meaning in such a relationship?
Friendship between the opposite sexes is still considered dubiously, as in many cases it may eventually lead to physical attraction and a consequent physical relationship. The physical proximity, the physiological differences and the circumstances may lead to a physical relationship. So a Platonic relationship between a man and a woman is difficult if not impossible. This does not mean that every man who befriends a woman or visa versa will naturally and eventually be that persons' lover and that, that relationship will end up in sharing a physical relationship.
Friendship does not entail much responsibility but love entails responsibility and commitment. A commitment to belong to each other and be faithful. Friends have to be sincere and dependable, but this rule cannot be stretched too far.
Friendship can happen between any numbers of people of different genders but, love can take place only between two people of different sexes, and because of this limited scope the responsibility and commitment is enhanced in a relationship between lovers. A lover can be the lover of only one person at any given period of time and is supposed to remain true to him or her, but a friend can be a friend for any number of people of any gender