Taiwo
- I used to find it easier to bond with females when I was younger, but not anymore.
- For the most part of my life, it was easy but at this period of my life, it's relatively (but not consistently) harder to bond with females as compared to males.
- When I was younger, I was a bit shy around guys, so it was significantly harder to make friends with guys. Female friendships were familiar. After secondary school, it all changed. I gravitated more towards guys. I found that I was nervous around girls and there was always this sort of silent competition among them. I wasn't sure who was genuine because they mask their feelings so easily. The guys on the other hand were open books. Besides, you could trust them to keep your secrets with their lives. I don't know why, but it just happened.
Cynthia
- Yes, I do.
- I won't particularly say hard or sway to a side. I just feel it depends on the personality of the friend but consistently, that would be females, in terms of lasting friendships. I've had female and male friends that I bonded with easily and knew I could trust as well. And I have had the opposite too. So it all boils down to personality and instincts for me.
- Hmm. The challenge is not making female friends per se, it's mostly sustaining it. Friends are soul mates too which is why for me there has to be a connection or alignment which leads to trust. Also, it's not about having many but about having a meaningful one.
- I’m still keeping my circle small but I'm working on being more open-minded.
- I’m still working on it through insightful materials and the experiences of others. I hope to be a great female friend as much as I want to have one.
Bethanna
- Yes, I find it easier to relate better with males.
- Yes.
- I think guys seem to possess the kind of strength and energy I like to see in my friend.
Also, the tendency for me to get drawn to the opposite sex is because, growing up, I felt I didn't have a satisfactory relationship with the male figures I had around, so I felt I could fill the void by building friendships with the opposite gender.
- It hasn’t completely changed, but it's beginning to.
- I'm beginning to see the need for a very close female in my life. I feel getting too close to guys, at this age, could be, in a way, 'dangerous.' Also, I'm beginning to meet females with the kind of person I want to be friends with.
Wola