10 Reasons Why Having Guy Friends Totally Beats Having A BF

1. They get you. I mean, really get you.

You’re comfortable around them, so they know you. The real you. They know how sassy you are when you’re hungry (AKA HANGRY) or how you cry like a baby during scary movies. They get that you like having your alone time or hate falling asleep without a night light or even the stupid small things, like how you prefer your steak done or your guilty pleasure Netflix series.

Because you’re so comfortable around them, you’re more of yourself. You’re not thinking about how to impress them—you’re just you. Which makes these guys the ultimate best because they accept and love you for who you are. And won’t judge you. (At least not all the time.)

2. They treat you like an equal.

Guy friends aren’t going to baby you, they aren’t going to treat you like a princess, and they won’t think the sun rises and sets with you. They will treat you like a real-life, regular person. But they will love you. They’ll respect you. They’ll have your back just like any of their other dude friends. Being treated like ‘one of the guys’ might not sound that appealing at first, but what that really means is that you’re included in everything and loved unconditionally, which is honestly the ultimate form of love.

3. They help you understand the male mind.

Nothing is more confusing (or frustrating) than trying to get what the hell is going on in a dude’s head. Having a boyfriend can be like trying to figure out a puzzle with missing pieces. (Yeah, yeah, girls can be like this too I guess. But still! It’s tough trying to understand a dude!)

Having good guy friends means you get VIP access into the inner workings of the male brain. You can talk to your guy friends about your boy troubles, you can get legitimate dating advice, and you can also hear a perspective you don’t really get or understand. It definitely comes in clutch.

4. Guy friends are fun.

Having a guy friend means adventures. It means doing random things you wouldn’t normally do and getting into stuff you never thought you’d find yourself getting into. Like beer darts. (Who would’ve thought you could be so competitive?!) With a good guy friend, you get to shed your girly skin and get messy. You find yourself in another world sometimes, having way more fun that you’ve had with your girlfriends. It’s just a completely different outlook on life, and it’s a pretty good time.

5. There’s no expectations.

Sometimes having a BF means expectations. Expectations that you’re going to be this amazing girl he can take home to mom, or expectations that you’re going to like, make out every three seconds. With guy friends it’s just chill. You can hangout, you can go out, you can do whatever the hell you guys want to do—but there’s not this BF/GF baggage. Cheers to freedom!

6. You get to eat copious amounts of food. All the time.

Cheers to guy friends because that ultimately means food. And for girls who love to eat (AKA me) that’s probably one of the best things ever. Guy friends are always down for lunch dates, for midnight snacks, for random gas station runs. And best part? You’re not going to be judged for being a fatty. Yay!

7. They’re not going to have to touch you every five seconds.

Hooray for not being cuddled, poked, touched, rubbed, caressed, kissed, or any other strange touchy-feely stuff at the most annoying and/or inappropriate times. Your guy friends aren’t creepy and they totally respect boundaries. Yet, if you want to lean your head on their shoulder or share a blanket while watching a movie it’s not super weird.

8. You can actually have good conversations.

Friendship is built by communication—you listening to his drama, him listening to yours—there’s never a shortage of things to talk about with your guy friends. But beyond that, you’re there for each other so you listen. For the sake of listening and caring about the other person. This is #MAJORKEY.

9. You become more independent.

Sometimes relationships can cause us to lean our significant others. We rely on them because they’re our biggest supporters, right? There’s nothing wrong with that, and you’ll definitely lean on your guy friends too, but having good guy friends means also becoming more of your own person. You can’t do every single thing with them and you’re not dating, so you don’t have an obligation to do everything with them. Having good guy friends = you becoming more comfortable in your own skin and confident on your own. It means finding out who you are and having a friendship that empowers you to stand alone and fly solo. (With, of course, the boys having your back every step of the way.)

10. You can be yourself.

You don’t have to try to be a perfect girlfriend, an acceptable future wife, or any of that other BS. With your guy friends, you can just be. Be weird. Be funny. Be lazy. Be tired. Be a sass. Be too loud. Be too crazy. Whatever. You’re allowed to be YOU, and same with him. It’s the best sort of relationship, built not on this unrealistic idea of becoming perfect, but just being each other’s go-tos and partners in crime. Yay for guy friends. We don’t give them enough credit.