32F here and genuinely curious about how this works from the male perspective. If you’re sleeping with someone regularly, genuinely attracted to her, enjoy talking to her, cuddling/kissing, hanging out, have good chemistry, etc… how do you keep that mentally filed under “casual”? Is it actually compartmentalization? Like you can really like someone and enjoy intimacy with them without your brain starting to think relationship? Or is there usually something specific that separates “I really enjoy this woman and want to keep sleeping with her” from “I’m developing a crush on her”? I’m especially curious about the “not yet” stage. Can you be seeing someone casually and feel no romantic attachment at first, but then feelings develop after spending more time together? If so, what usually causes that shift for you? And on the other side, have you ever had a FWB/casual situation where the sex was great, you liked her as a person, you were affectionate with each other, and you still never developed romantic feelings at all ? I realize men aren’t a monolith. I’m mostly curious about how individual guys experience the distinction internally. Because from my perspective, repeated sex + affection + emotional comfort can start blurring the lines pretty quickly. submitted by /u/Sensitive_Profile623
Originally posted by u/Sensitive_Profile623 on r/AskMen