"Girls can't be best friends with guys."

I cannot keep count of how many times I have heard this phrase from other people. But, yet, I am still to this day always confused on why so many people are set in stone with this idea. I do not understand why it is thought that a girl cannot be best friends with a guy unless she likes him or is in love with him. I know many girls, including myself, that have best friends that are heterosexual guys. Guys can be great best friends and here is why.

A guy best friend is a great listener. He will be there for you to talk about your thoughts and feelings. Even when he can't relate (since some girls tend to be a little more sensitive and emotional) he will still try to understand and do his best to give you advice.

He will continuously try to make you smile. Guys like to be goofy and funny and they will always want to see you happy. So when you're feeling down, your best friend can be there to know exactly what to do to get you to smile again.

You will get to learn about him and his different mentality. Guys think a lot differently then girls do and you will be able to get a first hand look at the differences when having a guy best friend. You'll learn about his dreams, what is important to him, and what he thinks about certain topics.

You will have someone else to be there to protect you. Someone who won't care about what you're wearing or how your hair looks. Someone who will make fun of you and tease you, but also tells you why you're special. Someone who helps you look at the bigger picture and the brighter side of things when you're overreacting or overthinking.

Like female friends, you can also hangout with guy friends constantly to the point where you know him better than anyone else does. You will have someone to have deep conversations with and someone who you can trust and confide in. Someone who can hug you when times are tough and who can go on adventures with you. You will have another person that genuinely cares about you and your well being.

You will start to love him. But, not necessarily in a romantic way as everyone claims. A best guy friend can become like a brother to you. You love each other in a way family members do. You'll most likely even be close with each other's families too.

All in all, getting extremely close to a guy can happen without catching feelings for him.

Having a guy best friend or several great guy friends can be great for many girls out there. I know that I am a girl who has many guys friends who I do not have feelings for , but I still love and appreciate them as my friends. So, don't worry about what everyone is saying or thinking. If you and a guy are really close, then just continue to be the good friends that you are. Your friendship is more important than the opinions of outsiders. And next time you get hit with the "Wait, are you two dating?" or "Do you like him?" question for the millionth time, just shrug it off and carry on.