It seems that most people are comfortable with that platonic social relationship. When you are out socially with one of these platonic friends, do people treat you as a connected couple? Is there an assumption about your relationship?

So if you go out with your social friend one on one and people assume you are a couple, how do you show others that you are single and available?

Do you expect your social partner to help facilitate your meeting of other people that you may be interested in?

I seem to have a hard time understanding how this dynamic would work in real life. It is easy to be friends with someone of the opposite sex if they are married and/or your social interactions are always in a group setting. One on one social outings present a problem to me. I tend to see them as having more negative implications than positive.

Okay, this is how it works for me.

When I go out with my male friend, it's always just us together. We may go for a drive, go to a restaurant, go for a coffee or whatever. We do that because we enjoy each other's company and we are friends. We have known each other for too long for it to be anything other than platonic.

If others mistake us for partners we just tell them we are good friends. No need for further explanations. It's not their business after all.

My male friend has been single longer than I have and he does not interfere with my relationship with whomever I date just as I don't interfere with his relationships. The guy I previously dated knew about my male friends (I had 2 but sadly one took his own life) and he never had a problem with either of them. It all comes down to trust in the end. I don't have a problem with my friend dating either.

My concern isn't with someone else you already date, it is with the ones you meet that you want to date and their assumptions. If I see them again and try to get acquainted, they will assume I am taken and trying to get something going on the side - end of that getting acquainted idea! This is especially a concern in an area with a smaller population.

The thing is though, when I'm out with my friend I'm not looking for any potential partners, my focus is on my friend as that's who I'm out with.

I see what you're saying but that hasn't happened to me.........yet. Besides, if I was approached and I didn't take to the potential partner, I could always use my friend as an excuse and say that I'm attached!

For sure. Relationships are about much more than just one activity. As long as both people are on the same sheet from the start, there will be no misunderstandings.