Is friendship with opposite sex after marriage advisable?

MARRIAGE comes with different kinds of innate restrictions. These restrictions usually differ from those things people abhor when they were single. One of such things which is seen as not permitted in marriage is relationship with the opposite sex after saying ‘I do’.

However, some people negate this inclined orientation as they believe that marriage should not be a slave market. Marriage for people in this school of thought should not stop one from relating with their friends, past and those they share memories with.

However, relationshipd as these have killed many marriages due to mainly to infidelity with the said friends (especially of the opposite sex). Considering this, the question today is: Is friendship with the opposite sex after marriage advisable?

On WhatsApp Conversation, these are what those who joined the conversation and our expert said on the issue:

Ayomide Oromidayo

It depends on your relationship with that opposite sex. If the person is a family member, maybe it is alright but if the opposite sex is an outsider and there’s a tendency of falling in love with him or her, which may lead to marital infidelity and other related issues,  then it is not advisable to have such. By the way,  after marriage,  your best friend should be your spouse and if that is the case there’s really no need in seeking companionship or friendship from an outsider who is of the opposite sex.

Falana Stephen

From my view,  it’s not bad because in life,  you must be dynamic and also kinetic.  If you don’t mix well,  you can’t be well blended. Being friends with opposite sex gives  you a slice of how to even handle your own home.  By the way,  a brother (friend)  once said to me: The best place you can meet/ get a good connection is a gathering like a bar/joint/parties etc. In Africa,  culture really brings us setbacks and, as well it saves us from some errors.  But on the topic of discussion,  being a friend with a female as a male (opposite sex)  isn’t bad.

Luke Ishola

With the concept of life, we can’t live in isolation, friendship is needed. But in the case of being friends with an opposite sex, married one for that matter, I think it’s not good enough. However the exception should be when you have known the couple from on set. Even at that, the kind of friendship needs to be properly defined.

Joshua Adeniyi 

Well, it depends on the relationship or the extent of the friendship. Keeping the opposite sex is not that bad if one is self-disciplined and can control one’s emotions. Making friends with one’s ex or crush is not advisable at all.

Favour Ademilegun

I think when trust has been established in a relationship, being a friend with the opposite sex won’t mean anything. There are people who have the opposite sex as friends and are still fine. That is because their partners can trust them with that friend. So, being a friend with the opposite sex after marriage is not completely bad if they trust each other so well.

Ola 

Yes, you will just let your partner know everything about you guys and you keep friendship as friendship then nothing more.

Ahmed Taiwo 

Friendship with someone else after marriage? Why? I think the best thing is finding a friend in someone you married. Any relationship outside marriage is very dangerous and can destroy such home. Whatever you see in someone outside that makes you draw to the person or confide in them, you can also bring it out in your partner. It’s marriage, it should involve every relationship, most especially friendship.

Abdulkareem Taoheedah Kehinde

Friendship with the opposite sex after marriage is both adviceable and not adviceable on the other hand. Its adviceable in the sense that before you got married you probably had tons of people of the opposite sex that are your friends. Discarding them just because you are now married is not a good one as, one way or the other, they would still be your colleagues at work, neigbours where you live and in many others areas of your life.On the other hand, it is not adviceable in the sense that, having an intimate or close relationship with the opposite sex could jeopardise the marriage as they may ask you out or your partner starts having issues with it. So its adviceable to have opposite sex that are friends but it shouldn’t be an intimate one, just a casual friend.

Abdulmalik Zainab

This is dependent on how they set the friendship. If it’s a close friendship where they share things with each other it’s a no. Your partner should be your only close friend, no other friend of the opposite sex. Before you know it, feelings will come up and you will hear I wish I met you before my man or woman.

More reactions and expert view next week

Next week on WhatsApp Conversation, we would be treating:

‘Love is a one-sided concept in our present world. You know who you love not who loves you’ , how true is this statement in relationship and marriages?

Join our WhatsApp Conversation every Sunday by 8pm or send in your comments (50 words) to the phone number, email address above or Twitter handle: @WhatsAppConvs