It depends on how long you've been friends, I think. It's a good idea to at least know and be familiar with someone you're thinking about dating, but if you've been friends for many years, there are grey areas that are rather awkward to navigate. Generally speaking, though, I think a relationship with a friend is more likely to work than one with a complete stranger.

Relationships with friends are risky because if it doesn't work out, friendships many times sizzle out. One of the people may still like the other and it makes it hard to get back to the way the friendship was before dating. So I think anyone considering dating a friend should consider how much chemistry they have. After all, love is said to be a relationship set on fire. Is there a significant spark between the couple? Then it's more likely to work out as opposed to the two friends kind of "testing the waters" to determine if a there's compatibility and the relationship would work out.

It depends. Some manage to have a relationship, it doesn't work, yet they remain really good friends. And others find it hard. It depends if you can seperate yourself from future events, for example, if your friend (who is also your ex) gets with another boyfriend/girlfriend, then can you cope with it? Would you feel jealous? It all depends on how you both broke up, and who ended it, but it's always an issue for some.

A lot of friends decide that it's not worth risking the friendship. Because if it doesn't work, and it ends badly, then you do lose the friendship and good friends are hard to find sometimes. So, it's always something to think about, you know?

What I have observed is that friends having relationships work best when they're older. I know some family friends who are older, in their 30's, and they were friends for a long time before getting together. Now they will probably work at it, and overlook many things that annoy them to be together. But in younger people like us, we tend to be less tollerant. Which is why for many of us, relationships don't last very long all of the time.

it is easier actually, when you date someone you don't know very well there is an awkward stage of getting to know them. Being friends can just get you past that immediately, and into the relationship you go, you have to play it right

Yes, when I did this I made them promise me we would still be friends no matter what happened, and you know what, we are still epic friends.

I truly think this is a funny question. All relationships should start as both people being friends, or as people that of which know much about each other, enough to develop a relationship. If one should start a relationship without being friends first, then it is unexpected to know what might happen. Similar to a watermelon, you can see what the outside looks like, but upon slicing it open, the inside might be entirely different than the outside might have perceived it to be. I highly recommend to everyone that before you officially start a relationship, that you should know many areas of the person on which your intentions are laying upon.

My Opinion...

Mm, for me I wouldn't date any of my friends because ... well, their only friends because I'm not attracted to them in that way. I'm the type of person who would rather jump into the relationship just to make sure I don't miss the opportunity. Like, with my boyfriend right now we didn't start out as friends, we were just acquaintances and here we are 3 years later.

The few times I did date friends it just ... didn't work. We're not really that good of friends anymore either but for a lot of them I went for one date with them and then they suddenly found out that I was dating my boyfriend so I guess that probably upset them.

It depends massively on the type of person you are, the type of person they are and how the relationship worked/ended.

Some of my friends I would get involved with as I know I can stay friends after and they are the type of person that could too. But its very important your open and honest about what you both want and where you stand with each other. If you want different things then don't!

Some of my short pointless BFs at school stayed my friends, some didn't. Also I've slept with a couple of my friends and we are still good friends.

It just depends on so many things........

Thisdepends

Well, i went out with my best guy mate twice. the first time we didnt really know eachother that well and he liked someone else so he ended it, and we became close mates.. the second time was about 6 months later and it went for about 7 months

and after about 10 major fights, were now becoming friends again.. but we will never be the same.

I personally think you should have that friendship before you start a relationship, I'm sure most people will agree, however I don't think "best friends" can ever have a relationship, well at least you can, but afterwards don't except to have the same kind of best friend relationship to go back too. It's also really awkward when your best friend (of the opposite sex) admits to liking you, it just makes things plain awkward, I know they can't help how they feel, but I think it really does change the relationship between the two people.

sometimes works with friends, and doesnt ruin the friendship when they breakup, but unfortuneatly, it doesnt work out that way, its probably better not to be friends when your starting a relationship, because if you break up then you are just losing a girlfriend/boyfriend rather than a gf/bf and a good friend!!!!

I actually have difficulty securing a relationship with girls who arn't my friends first!

I went out with my best friend Erica freshman year, and we're still friends now (I'm graduated)

I did once date a friend of mine.
We grew very close and then went out, was lovely, broke up and sadly didnt talk for a while.
I think that'd happen whether or not you were friends before or not.
Things can work between two people on friend terms, but maybe not relationships.
Infact I think being friends may help bring you back together after, it did in my case.
We just said " at least we tried, it didn't work, lets move on shall we, as mates ?"

So I think if you connect with the person well enough as friends then you can be so after a break up :D

it all depends. It has worked out for me, and we stayed really good friends. but it hasn't worked out for other people i know.