Could you cuddle with somebody who was just a friend? Arguably, cuddling is one of the best things in the world, but is it something as personal as a kiss, or can it be as common as a hug? This question came up while I was with some really good friends and I think the consensus was that we had to have romantic feelings for whoever we ended up cuddling with.

Personally, I can hug pretty much anybody. I’ve hugged friends I’ve known forever and people I had only known for a few hours. Hugs are at a level of intimacy where I’d have less of a problem giving one to people I don’t have romantic feelings for. Kisses, on the other hand, are a lot higher on the intimacy meter. I’d have to practically be in love with you to kiss you, and only on very rare occasions have I kissed someone that I only considered a friend. So where exactly does a cuddle fall? If you think about it, cuddling is basically a hug, just usually horizontal. The fact that cuddling is an extended version of a hug, however, is where lines start to blur. Not to mention the fact that cuddling usually takes place on a couch or bed, which is basically a few steps away from having sex. It’s said that a hug that lasts for 20 seconds will release a hormone that can build an instant and strong bond between two people. Going off of this, cuddling usually lasts for a good few minutes, so who knows what kind of bond can result from a good cuddle session? This is what makes me think cuddling is more for someone I’d want to get into a serious relationship with.

I guess, of course, that all this depends on an individual’s perception of intimacy. Some people, for example, don’t feel comfortable giving hugs to even their closest friends. On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who are okay having sex with people they just met. While I reserve cuddling for people I really care for in the romantic sense, I had a friend in college who asked me to cuddle all the time and we were not romantic at all (in case you’re wondering, I declined those cuddle requests.) So what do you think about cuddling? As with anything I write, please feel free to let me know, especially if you feel as strongly about cuddling as I do.