Platonic Orientations?

[BionicPi]

On 12/08/2016 at 3:02 PM, ArodynamicallyFavored said:

mostly the kinds of people you get squishes on.

I don't think I've really thought about platonic attraction that much. I've never had a squish, or at least one strong enough to be noticed. Otherwise I'm not sure there is much of a pattern beyond the general 'shared interests'. 

 

@QuirkyGeek I love the Latin prefixes!

[ace_octopus]

For me platonic orientation isn't about friendship. At least I experience it as a connection that is different from friendship and also from a romantic attraction. 

It's like something between these too terms, you know?

[Nagito]

I think I'm demiplatonic or something like this.

[Arsenic]

If it is about squishes, I am biplatonic. I usually have a squish on females and non-binary people (or androgynous-presenting people, in general). Never on guys.

[aro_elise]

i don't call it anything but it would be pan.  gender is not a factor at all.

[ARO.LY]

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to offend anyone but why would anyone identify with a Platonic Orientation? I understand talking about Platonic Attraction(it's fun, interesting and helps people figure out squishes) but I don't understand the use of using Platonic Orientation labels. For example if you were a girl and you were "Heteroplatonic" would you use it to tell girls that you're not interested in having them as close friends because they're girls? Again sorry if this offended anyone just curious.

[AromanticAardvark]

I think I'm probably something like homoplatonic, or homoflexibleplatonic, since I hardly ever have squishes on anyone other than girls.

And I don't think about it like close friendships, but as who you have squishes on, and imo it's more for yourself, to label your own attraction, than a label you tell people about

[DeltaAro]

6 hours ago, Aroya said:

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to offend anyone but why would anyone identify with a Platonic Orientation? I understand talking about Platonic Attraction(it's fun, interesting and helps people figure out squishes) but I don't understand the use of using Platonic Orientation labels. For example if you were a girl and you were "Heteroplatonic" would you use it to tell girls that you're not interested in having them as close friends because they're girls? Again sorry if this offended anyone just curious.

Yes, this is a flamewar-prone topic.

Compared to sexual or romantic orientation, the concept of platonic orientation is very ambiguous and therefore prone to misunderstandings.

E. g. “aplatonic” is often interpreted as having no interest in friends. Or like your example, “heteroplatonic” is translated as (if a woman says it) “I only want to be friends with men”.

And indeed, sometimes people really understand it that way. Then platonic orientation becomes – not without justification – linked to: asociality*, personality disorders, antisociality, bias, bigotry, internalized bigotry, …

But I guess most of the time people who apply this concept to describe themselves understand it differently.

Like they say “aplatonic” and mean “I do not identify with this feeling you call platonic attraction” or “homoplatonic” and mean “I just ever had squishes on girls”.

* IDK if asociality is really negative … I guess it is neutral. But in most cultures it has a negative connotation, excluding some mystical traditions.

[alto]

Generally heteroplatonic.  Generally.

[AngelLongtail]

I guess I only have squishes when they make me genuinely happy.. if that makes sense?

if its just about who I wanna be friends with its generally just anyone (as long as they aren't toxic)

[nonmerci]

On 1/27/2022 at 2:01 PM, A.M said:

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to offend anyone but why would anyone identify with a Platonic Orientation? I understand talking about Platonic Attraction(it's fun, interesting and helps people figure out squishes) but I don't understand the use of using Platonic Orientation labels. For example if you were a girl and you were "Heteroplatonic" would you use it to tell girls that you're not interested in having them as close friends because they're girls? Again sorry if this offended anyone just curious.

I don't think that most people use it this way. It sounds to me that it is more about squishes and QPRs. But as people have difficulties to understand squishes and QPRs, they confuse that with friendship and here's the confusion in your post.

I have friends. I like having friends. I'm still aplatonic. I identify this ways cause I don't have squishes. I also don't want a QPR.

Some other ID that way cause they don't love their friends (that was the terms used by the person who invented the word I think).

Maybe there are people who use it to say they don't want friends but I don't think this is the main way tobuse the word.

[Lovebird]

I'm just aplatonic. People seem to think it equals down to 'platonic repulsed, has no friends' but it's more diverse than that. I have friends, I (sometimes) want friends, I just don't experience the feelings of "Wow, I want to be this persons friend, they're so cool" nor do I "love" my friends but I still enjoy their presence.