I figured you guys might be able to help me out with this. I've always had a problem with being the "lets just be friends" guy growing up. This made me not believe in and rather dislike being friends with girls in any aspect. After a while I became actually social and could go on dates but this has come with a side-effect. Ok if I meet a girl she is one of 3 things right off the bat.

1) a co-worker: can be romantic but that is a long stretch as I try to keep my professional life professional.

2) sexual/romantic interest: Whether we're going to be just fuck buddies, dating or something more serious our relationship is going to have a physical part to it.

3) met through a friend as their gf: You are a guy in my eyes because I don't steal friends girls.

Now the rub comes in when I meet a girl maybe go on a date and turns out she's not interested but still wants to be friends. Whether we work better as friends or not I can't tell because my thing is "i don't need another 'friend'". Now the i don't need another friend remark is a defense mechanism from me not wanting to be that "friend zoned" guy. But lately I feel like I may be missing out on some good friendships by having this mantra. I do have women friends. The only way I've found to have an actual mutual female friend is to date a girl have sex with her and THEN realize your better friends. YOU get to make the decision and your not wondering "what if?" I guess I'm just wondering what to do. Keep this philosophy to keep myself from being hurt or adopt a new one that lets me expand my social circle of both men and women.