Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?

Well, a lot of the time, I don’t like being around anyone… people in general. So… can I just say neither?

Really, I guess it depends on my mood and the specific situation and the actual people who are there. Historically, I look at my life and I would say that I’ve had more women as close friends than men. But I think that’s because it’s easier to talk to someone of the opposite sex… sometimes. I know that’s a contradiction since I claim that I don’t know how to talk to women. I think the issue there is that I don’t know how to talk to women in whom I find some kind of attraction. If I’ve gone into a situation knowing and believing that someone is just a friend or acquaintance and that’s all they will ever be to me, talking becomes less of a problem.

With other dudes, though… if we’re not quoting movies or laughing over something stupid we did a decade ago, it’s hard to know if there would be a genuine friendship there. But that’s not entirely true, either. I can honestly say that I have a handful of guys who I know I can call on at the drop of a hat and they’d be there. And they’re the kind of guys that I can have deep conversations with if the occasion calls for it. I can ask their advice and they’ll give it to me without pulling any punches.

Maybe my real answer is both.

*The Question of the Week can be found in The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, Ph.D.