Canvassing the Internet: Platonic Admiration

[tealin]

I know I was behind the door when hormones were handed out, but surely I am not the only one who finds it possible to respect and admire someone – or even just like a fictional character – without being sexually attracted to them. In high school the response to a statement of such admiration was usually full of conspiratorial innuendo, accompanied by a virtual 'wink wink nudge nudge.' I thought that when I joined the grownup world that mindset had been left behind, but I've encountered it a few times recently and it's got me wondering. Anyone out there know what I'm talking about? Opinions? Insights? Observations? Advice, even?

Comments

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

First off, with you on the "where was I when the passed out hormones" much to my poor boyfriends disappointment.

Anyway
Oh 99% of my admiration is platonic, even for hot movie actors I like (I mean I'll joke but I'd much rather encounters be platonic).

However, I do often still express things sometimes sexually in a joking manner, and seriously, I think it's because of the word "love."

The English language is *not* well built for platonic admiration and a lot of words can be used for either platonic or erotic admiration and with the western culture being so hung up on sex I think it's unsurprising that things are turned into jokes and such. Especially when you know the situation is not likely to actually ever be romantic.

Or things are assumed to be romantic just because that's the only words we have.

Does that make any sense?

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Good point ... while English is an incredibly rich language with way too many synonyms and a ridiculous number of specific words for specialized things, it is rather lacking when it comes to ways to express deep affection. And it is hung up on sex. Or at least Americans are. The Brits (from what I've managed to garner from Radio 4) are still trying to compensate for their Imperial reputation for prudishness, which leads to being hung up on it in a different way, whereas Canadians take it remarkably casually ... maybe it's the French influence, or being Not American, or the way they're pretty mellow about nearly everything ...