โ€œHindi ganiyan ang magkaibigan lang,โ€ a deafening phrase usually received by people who have deep-bonded companionship with someoneโ€”particularly by the opposite-sex type of friendship. Shallow-minded people wouldnโ€™t get this kind of relationship exists but it does. It might be unconvincing but it happens.ย 

In this progressive world, we canโ€™t deny the fact that our lives are seen and known by almost everyone โ€” the very reason why people often leave comments on our business โ€” which, sadly, becomes an unhealthy habit that causes others' insecurities, anxieties, and worse, existential crisis. That's why in these times, it's important to have someone you can lean on without having the feeling that you need to be in a romantic affiliation, put differently, a platonic relationship. Yet, this seems to be fading in our fast-paced, frequently transactional customs, to be replaced by the fleeting nature of social media and the never-ending search for romantic love.

A partnership without any intimate or amorous feelings involved seems too unusual, especially before. Nowadays, this kind of judgment still exists but the generation of today somehow managed to accept the fact that being close to someone doesn't mean you want them deeper than just a companion. According to the article by Kendra Cherry, MSEd, there is no sex or physical intimacy in a platonic amiability. By that, we can say that this kind of relationship is a connection with someone whose presence feels safe, secure, and peaceful. It is your deep bond with them without romantic undertones that we could find in a passionate one.

Once a chaste rapport occurs in our life, it could help us grow, especially since this modern world caused us too many traumas and hardships. One study found that one of the biggest predictors of a person's ability to recover after a traumatic or stressful event was the presence of strong friendships. Additionally, being able to fully open yourself to a person who has no intentions of taking advantage of your fragility is something that we need. In fact, a study by Mia Belle Frothingham states that platonic bonds can be some of the most powerful for anyone to develop throughout life.ย 

However, there are some challenges faced in this kind of relationship. One of these is the beautiful alliance you have built is slowly becoming an unrequited love; which is caused by the fact that the serenity it brings to you might be perplexing to another party. A study, still by Frothingham, says that one person might develop ardent or sexual feelings for the other. This can create tension, especially if the feelings are not reciprocated. Regardless, we must not ignore the fact that considering the friendship to another level might lose the unwavering company you both have with each other when, in the end, everything didn't go as you envisioned it to be.

Strengthening platonic friendship takes conscious efforts and various things to consider such as not getting into the "friends-with-benefits" type and boundariesโ€”especially if one of you is a committed partner outside the friendship. This was determined by the study of K. Cherry which states that it's crucial to focus on establishing and maintaining clear extremities. After all, communication with understanding upholds healthy relational aspects.

Be it with the opposite sex or not, itโ€™s undisputable that having someone by your side all the time and knowing that they value you for who you are, take care of you, and make you feel that your existence is a precious item is astounding. On grounds of the invaded privacy of our lives caused by social media and gossip, having someone with whom you can still express your truest self is an antidote. They aren't just a reminder that these deep-bonded connections are still possible; they're also the very reason why we're able to continue our journey amidst chaos and uncertainties.