Friend zone: "a situation in which a friendship exists between two people, one of whom has an non-reciprocated romantic or sexual interest in the other."
The friend zone is an awkward place. I have been in the friend zone before and believe me when I say that wanting someone that is always next to you is pretty miserable. I would always think in that back of my mind that there was a chance that this time she would like me, but now that I have moved on, I felt like I was in denial. Now if you have a friend that you want to pursue in a romantic light, then talk to that person. I know this is a lot easier said than done, but maybe you should check for these signs to see if you're in the dreaded friend zone.
1. The Person You Like Cherishes Your Friendship... A Lot
What is wrong with someone letting you know that you mean a lot to them? Everyone loves to feel appreciated, but the friend you like begins to constantly tell you how you are such a great friend, they might be trying to drop a hint for you to pick up. When your friend tells you that they really value your friendship, this could be translated as the person wants to just be your friend and nothing more. Your friend could be getting the vibe that you want more which could lead to them to constantly hinting that they want to remain friends.
2. They Talk About Their Past Relationships
If you had feelings for someone, you would not want to talk about past romantic history. I understand talking about an ex here and there is fine, but if someone is telling you about personal intimate information about their ex, then they probably don't like you that way. People that want to talk about a past relationship, is usually to just friends that could not be more than that. Telling someone what you did in the past isn't a good way for someone to like you, which shows that your friend has no intentions to be more than friends.
3. They Like Someone Else
If the friend you like begins to talk about someone they like, then obviously they are not into you. I feel like this is clearly shown, but you would be surprised that people will think that their friend just doesn't know what he/she wants and that they still want you. This is textbook denial when believing something that has so much evidence against what you think. If that person is talking about someone that they are attracted to, then you are stuck in the friend zone.
4. You Become Their Therapist
When you like someone, you don't want to dump all of your problems on that person. Our friends are there to help us get through tough times, but if you were attracted to someone, you would not want to tell them all of your problems. If you like a friend that is constantly dumping all of their problems on to you about their life, they could just be reaching out to a friend to talk to and nothing more. If your friend had an attraction towards you, would you still tell them all your problems if you liked them too?
5. Not Ready For A Relationship
Not being ready for a relationship is perfectly fine. Some people that get out of a relationship needs time to process and move on before they could be ready to start a new relationship. Just like the constant reminder of valuing your friendship, if they are completely against dating at the time, then clearly they are either trying to tell themselves or you that a relationship is not for them. I have seen multiple times when someone would tell my friend that they did not like that they were not ready for a relationship, followed by that person entering into a relationship with someone else some days later. Some people don't like confrontation and would rather dodge losing a friend by expressing that they were not ready to be in a relationship. They were telling the truth with saying they are not ready for a relationship, just so happens they weren't ready to be in a relationship with you.
Conclusion
I know I was harsh in this post, but if you see these signs, then maybe you are in the friend zone. I guess you won't really know for sure unless you talk to the friend that you find attractive. You will know for sure if that person likes you or not, and if this ruins a friendship, then maybe that was for the best. If you like someone pursue them as someone more than a friend. If someone wants to be your friend, then be their friend. When you don't mix the two life gets a lot easier.
