Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Reveal The Major Pros And Cons Of Being 'Friends With Benefits' With Someone

People Reveal The Major Pros And Cons Of Being 'Friends With Benefits' With Someone

Two people's feet poke out from under the covers

Friends, especially great friends share a lot in life.

We share secrets, memories, joy, sorrow and in some cases... sex.

Is this a good idea or an unmitigated disaster?

The jury is still out.

It works for some and is a disaster for others.

Plus it can muddle the history of the relationship.

So what do people do?

Let's find out...


Redditor thunderchild10 wanted to discuss everyone's thoughts on the friends with benefits scenario, so they asked:

"What's your opinion of friends with benefits?"

I've never done FWB.

I feel robbed.

After a while...

Friends With Benefits Herkenbaar GIF by GoPlayGiphy

"Fun, and fine for a while, but less fulfilling than a relationship. Also, you both need to be good at compartmentalization, otherwise one of you will likely end up catching feelings."

Akiram

Be Clear

"My FWB caught feelings even though we were always clearly communicated as FWB. We were both in a big but really close friends group. I got a gf (she had recently had a bf as well) and she got mad. I ended up losing all my friends. It’s been 4 years, and she actually successfully managed to get 20+ ppl to forget I exist."

"Wouldn’t recommend."

sadbudda

The Rule of Three

"I had 3 throughout college. Two ended in us dating and then breaking up. The only one that worked and lasted two years was me and an ex from high school. We never hung out but were cool after our breakup. Didn’t speak for like three years and then when we were in college we saw each other at the bar, hooked up that night, then like two days later she asked if I wanted to meet up and I said sure."

"Then it just continues for two years. We rarely spoke outside of the bedroom other than like ‘pick me up from the bar’. Overall it was cool but I think it’s very rare. You have to find two people who just don’t have any desire for each other other than when horny, which a lot of times is not the case in one side"

InternationalMouse56

Confusion

"I honestly don't understand it at all. Having any sexual relation with a person whom I don't love and who doesn't love me seems pointless and even scary to me. I guess I am over-sensitive or something, because the thought of being so close to somebody without actually having a connection, an exclusivity, without knowing if this will ever happen again, is genuinely horrific to me."

"I don't care what others do in the bed and with whom, but this kind of relationship is just not for me."

ZidanSufuzki

For Life

Corona Snap GIF by INTO ACTIONGiphy

"If they can provide Medical, Dental, Unemployment, and Retirement benefits then they’re a friend for life."

Stupify_Me

Benefits are benefits. I'm in.

Forever

married single ladies GIFGiphy

"It didn't work out. We couldn't keep it just friends once we started the benefits. We will celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary in 2 weeks."

dirtysecretsofmine

Hey Buddy

"Very messy. You gotta either be f"k buddies only, dating, or friends only. Trying to keep feelings out of FWB is too difficult."

MarthaTheTRex

"That's a great point. I agree that it's tough to keep feelings out of the equation. I think it's best to just be honest and open with your friend so that you both know the boundaries of the situation and can stick to them. That way, both parties can be sure that they're getting what they need out of the relationship."

Professional-Help114

Taking Chances

"Seems iffy to me if you want the friendship to lay long term. Doesn't someone usually catch feelings, so after the FWB finds a partner they want to keep, it leaves the other party out. Especially if the new bf/gf doesn't want you to be friends with someone you've had sex with."

"Yes? No? I'm not into casual sex for myself, so am I off base?"

lifehappenedwhatnow

Developments

"A lot of people are saying 'someone always inevitably develops feelings' and that it ends badly, but that's not been my experience. I'm still friends with a few of my FWB's that I'm no longer sleeping with over the last couple of years and I'm genuinely happy for them that they've found relationships that make them happy. And I know of quite a few others similar to me."

playswithf1re

In Sync...

Sacha Baron Cohen Thumbs Up GIF by Amazon Prime VideoGiphy

"A great plan when both participants are on the same page. Whether that is 'stay FWB' or 'hey we caught feelings, let's give a relationship a try'. A mess when only one participant catches feelings."

Gwywnnydd

Don't get hurt...

"Terrible idea, someone always inevitably develops feelings and gets hurt."

"It can work sure, but in general, unless you're both 100% sure (which, how can you ever really be?) beforehand that you won't develop feelings for each other, I generally have seen it not work."

"In my personal experience, someone always had to break it off just as feelings were starting to arise. So yeah, be careful I guess."

PodcastingPodcastGuy

What have we learned?

Communication is key.

Do you have any WTF FWB experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Bernadette Peters; Cole Escola
Rob Kim/Getty Images; TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic

Bernadette Peters Offers Hilarious Reaction To Cole Escola's Tribute To Her Iconic Gown At The Tony Awards

Awards shows always have two competitions: the actual awards, and the red carpet outside.

Cole Escola, star and playwright of the hit show Oh, Mary!, did both at the Tony Awards this year. Escola, who won the Best Leading Actor in a Play for their performance, first showed up prior to the event to show off their intricate and stunning look, an homage to actor Bernadette Peters' iconic look from the 1999 Tony Awards.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pam Bondi
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

AG Pam Bondi's Brother Blames 'Rabid Partisans' After Getting Absolutely Walloped In DC Election

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump has often bragged about his overwhelming victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming he won by a landslide. But while he did manage to finally win a popular vote in 2024, something he lost in 2016 and 2020, it was hardly a landslide.

About 90 million eligible, registered voters didn't bother to vote at all in 2024, while Trump garnered only ~77 million votes, VP Harris received about ~75 million—a difference of only ~2 million which is less than the population of Trump's hometown of Queens, New York City.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
Alex Brandon - Pool/Getty Images

Kristi Noem's Past Views On National Guard Come Back To Bite Her After She Backs Trump Amid LA Protests

California Governor Gavin Newsom called out the hypocrisy of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after sharing a clip from last year showing she'd once criticized the Biden administration for considering deploying the National Guard when Democrats suggested it as a response to Texas' immigration crackdown at the time.

That's noteworthy because Noem has made an about-face, defending President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests in response to his administration's immigration raids by claiming he'd taken this drastic step "for the safety of this community ... to keep peace."

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Jim Jordan
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Perfectly Calls Out Jim Jordan's Hypocrisy After Jordan Rants About What We Do 'In America'

After Ohio Representative Jim Jordan criticized Los Angeles protesters who've held Mexican flags in a symbolic move against President Donald Trump's immigration policies, California Governor Gavin Newsom called out his hypocrisy by sharing images of the January 6 insurrection.

Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Account, used the body's official X account to admonish "Democrat-run Los Angeles" by sharing a Fox News video of a protester who waved a Mexican flag as he circled a burning car on his motorcycle.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Break Down Seemingly 'Harmless' Symptoms That Require A Trip To The ER

Always pay attention to your body.

Every bump and sore can mean something.

Keep ReadingShow less