When I was younger, I would always split everything with my (ex)boyfriend. For instance, we'd always split the dinner bill, split cooking duties or cook together, split choosing what to do on the weekends. Then after a certain time, I'd start to lack sexual attraction for him. I'd start to friendzone him. This dynamic was split down the middle in terms of actions. We'd also split driving duties and he would always offer to let me drive, which I actually HATE being in the driver's seat when the man is in the passenger's seat, but nowadays it's offensive if a man doesn't let a woman exercise her driving abilities.

With my current boyfriend we seem to have an equal BUT complementary dynamic. I, for one, ALWAYS cook. I make sure I have dinner ready for us when he comes home from work. I organize almost all household tasks. He, always drives when I'm in the car, and he always pays when we go out to dinner, and he will take me along with him to events, as his DATE and "escort." Because I felt like I was accompanying him instead of "going as friends," I made more of an effort to dress nicely to make him look good. Also, he almost never hangs out with me and my friends. My friends are mine and completely separate from his life. He also has his own friends - almost all male - that he spends time alone with. It's rare that we will hang out together in a co-ed social situation, or if we do, he goes and talks with the men and I go and talk with the women.

In this dynamic I also felt like I was free to "go along with the ride" when I spent time with him. I also strangely had more responsibility when taking care of my household duties, because we weren't splitting small decisions together. I made almost all of the small decisions, and he trusted me, BUT if he disagreed I would submit to his decision.

In my former relationships it was a lot of hemming and hawing, "who should make the final decision this time," and I hated it. I felt like I couldn't respect him in that sense.

Just wondering, can anybody relate? I think this may be the reason why friendzoning is a major issue in the US, and why men and women spend so much time together but they aren't dating. I will always DATE men. It's rare I'm actually friends with a man unless he is a colleague.

I have a girlfriend who spends a lot of time with a few close guy friends, but she refuses to date them, she just wants to hang out, but she's secretly in love with one of them. So she's also friendzoning herself by maintaining "guys are friends" instead of seeing men as sexual beings.