Friends with Benefits: What Does FWB Mean? Is It Necessarily a Bad Thing?

Are you wondering what FWB means and is it a good thing or a bad thing? This article will help you figure out everything you need to know about FWB, giving you an idea of “what does FWB mean?” whether it is good or bad, its advantages and disadvantages, and why you should avoid it. Let’s get started.

What Does FWB Mean?

FWB is mainly a relationship in which two persons are physically associated with each other without any commitment from either side. They like to spend time with each other without indulging in a romantic relationship. In FWB, friends also seem to engage in casual sex in order to explore it without feeling any pressure regarding the commitment.

Example of a Friend with Benefits Relationship 

Now since you know the answer to “what does FWB mean?”, let’s take a few examples to enhance your understanding of this term.

Let’s suppose you have a friend with whom you are in a casual relationship. And you both play tennis. You may talk to her about how well you two will play as mixed double and you can win any tournament together. This isn’t showing that you like her; rather, it gives her the idea that you people share a strong bond with each other without being committed.

You may also talk about how good you both will be at sex and then you go and start making love. This implies that you just need each other for satisfaction and nothing else. These are the perfect examples that show you that you can be a part of an FWB relationship without developing any feelings.

Is FWB Right for You?

An FWB relationship may or may not work for you depending on your nature and how you deal with it. Some people get attached to the other person during this relationship which makes them possessive and overthinker also at times. While others may use it just for their own satisfaction. So, there are certain points that will help you understand whether this kind of casual connection is right for you or not.

Why does FWB work for you?

Having no emotional investment or commitment may prove to be alluring to people for various reasons. People having a fear of intimacy or the ones suffering from abuse may benefit from physical satisfaction associated with FWB relationships. And they won’t have to sacrifice their safety either in this non-committing relationship. 

People who don’t even know what FWB means and have no interest in romance or romantic attraction may also be a part of such relationships. This will not only give them the answer to “What does FWB mean?” but will also let them enter the list of those who are in open relationships for fulfilling their sexual desires. Also, people suffering from mental health issues can also benefit from FWB relationships.  

Here are some of the reasons why FWB works well for some people.

• You Get a Loyal Friend

You may need a friend or a partner after your breakup or the last relationship’s end. You need someone with whom you can laugh, spend time and share your problems. And that works well when you find a friend of the opposite sex.  Even though both of you are not committed to each other, you will help each other understand “What does FWB mean?” and how to help each other in any issue. This is one of the reasons why FWB works for some people.

• Practicing Safe Sex Becomes Easy

If you are a woman who doesn’t want to have kids but likes to have sex for satisfaction and enjoyment, such a relationship will work well enough for you. Both of you can practice safe sex without any pressure of having kids later.

• You Get Freedom

Freedom has its own benefits. When you have a friend who just talks to you as a friend and isn’t bothered about your private life, you feel more comfortable and easy talking to him.

Why should you avoid FWB?

Not like FWB will always work. Some people can’t handle such relationships also because of the following reasons:

• Unwanted Jealousy 

Since the person is not committed to you, he/she may flirt or spend time with others. But after spending some enjoyable moments, you may not want him/her to be in any kind of relationship with any other person. 

• It May Ruin Your Self-Confidence 

Accepting that the other person isn’t ready to date you but is ready to sleep with you might be frustrating and can also destroy your confidence.

• It May Lead to Heartbreak 

In case you get attached to the next person, but they just want a casual relationship, you are trying to fool yourself. This will surely lead to heartbreak and will let you know why you should avoid FWB relationships.

Tips for a Friends with Benefits Relationship 

If you want to be a part of the FWB relationship, you must know what FWB means and how to make it work. Here are some of the tips for building a healthy FWB relationship. 

Set Boundaries 

In order for such a relationship to work, fulfilling everyone’s expectations is really important. You can make it successful only if you both agree on the arrangement. Set the limits with each other for things like sexual behavior. Also, if you both are having a platonic relationship outside of your bedroom, decide how you will interact outside with each other. This will make things work.

Communicate Thoroughly 

Some of the things that must be discussed before the start of an FWB relationship include the nature of your connection and your behaviors. For that, you must communicate with each other regularly and thoroughly about every aspect of your relationship. And if you disagree at any point, just decide something based on mutual consent. Only then, you can have a healthy FWB relationship. 

Clear the Doubts about Additional Sex Partners

Being in an FWB relationship means you are free to talk to others, spend time with them and have sex with them also. All in all, you can make as many FWB relationships as you want. So, in order to help keep your mental and physical health protected, you must talk to each other about other sex partners you have. This will help you set parameters to make the relationship work.

Talk about Duration

You can avoid any issues later if you decide to agree on the duration of your FWB relationship. Decide mutually about the tenure of your relationship, whether you want to end it until you find a long-term partner or whether you need to fulfill your sexual desires for some time. This mutual consent will help you know that this short-term relationship won’t give you a long-term loss.

All these tips will help you build and maintain a healthy FWB relationship with each other.

Friends with Benefits - FAQs 

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about FWBs.

What’s the Difference between NSA, FWB and Sugar Relationship? 

So you might also want to know “what does FWB mean in dating?”. Here is the detail. All these terms, i.e. NSA, FWB and Sugar Relationship, are connected in one way or another. NSA simply stands for “No Strings Attached”. This indicates a relationship between two people who are attached to each other for sex only. They don’t have any emotional attachment. So, NSA is a term used for a purely sexual relationship.

A sugar relationship is one in which one of the partners is wealthier and secures a relationship with a financially unstable person with the help of lavish dates and money. This is the worst form of FWB relationships since this is purely based on money and not on any other aspect.

The main difference between all three is that FWB is usually with a friend, but NSA can be with any random person and is about sex only. At the same time, Sugar Relationship or Sugar Arrangement is a money-based relationship with no emotional attachment from both sides. If you are interested in jumping into the sugar bowl, let’s join the SugarDaddySeek to improve your lifestyle and make life more fun.

What does FWB mean sexually?

FWB sexually means you are in a relationship with someone for the sake of fulfilling your sexual desires. And outside the bedroom, you have set the boundaries that limit your interaction. 

Is the FWB relationship boring?

FWB relationship is interesting as long as you are both satisfied. But once you are no longer interested in sex or friendship, you will find it difficult to catch up, making it boring. So, it is better to decide the duration of this relationship before time in order to avoid any issues later.

What are signs your FWB life is absolutely awesome?

If you start feeling like your partner likes to have sex quite often and it isn’t normal sex anymore, it’s a sign that your FWB life is going well. Moreover, if you people keep texting each other, discussing your previous relationships and planning a future, your FWB life is truly awesome and there are chances that your partner will fall for you sooner or later.

Is it ok to be FWB?

If you are careful about your FWB relationship, that’s surely healthy and will work for you well. And very few people dislike such connections because they are either jealous or they are too possessive. But overall, if you and your partner discuss things before time and act accordingly, you will be ok with your FWB life.

Conclusion 

This article answered your question of “what does FWB mean?” and reached out to answer other related questions about this term. If you feel like you don’t need to date anyone but you have to fulfill your desires also, an FWB relationship is a good option for you. Just choose a partner, spend time with him/her and discuss various aspects of your relationship. This will give you an idea of how you can live a healthy and enjoyable life without any pressure.