I'm not much for kissing, but I do like the luxury of casual intimacy between friends. However, I have no idea what many of my male friends and relatives really think and how they feel because they are more likely to posture and behave as they think I want them to behave as opposed to behaving as themselves. I think sometimes people don't really know themselves well enough to project that personality that would allow you to say you know them well.

I always hope that they would have some significant other around with which they can be themselves or express themselves, but from what I've seen of men interacting with wives and children I don't believe that many men succeed in this.

If I'm male and don't know how to really get to know many or most males, how are women supposed to do this? I always feel that to be human is to be somewhat alone. Rex's and others remarks indicate that it is also culturally based. How sad to be shamed for being able to hold another human being.