‘Suspicious’ friendship between men and women

By Alex P. Vidal

LOS ANGELES, California -- It is the custom to look upon friendship between men and women with suspicion.

The hard-headed wisdom of the world finds it difficult to admit that there is any such thing without the entrance of a baser motive, Dr. Frank Crane wrote in his book, Everyday Wisdom.

At the same time there have been as many enduring friendships between men and women as there have been friendships between men and between women. There is no doubt , Crane explained, that the play of sex instinct, in what may be called a secondary or tertiary place, is as stimulating as those of more immediate contact.

COMPANIONSHIP

There is something in the companionship of men and women that is distinctly stimulating and creative. According to Crane, it is allied to, and germaine to, that creative instinct which enables people to do their best work in the world.

The greatest poetry, if not the greatest prose, has been written under the inspiration of the opposite sex.

“There is no doubt but that the companionship is dangerous in a way but all precious things are dangerous and this should not induce us to question our friendships. There is something peculiarly stimulating to a man in the friendship of a woman which he does not find in that of a man,” Crane wrote.

He said there is such a thing as sex in ideas and in personality and point of view, as well as more bodily functions; and there is little doubt but what each member of the race is stimulated to do the best work under the influence of the opposite sex.

ASSOCIATE

Boys are better trained if they are allowed to associate freely with girls, and men acquire a smoothness of manner under the influence of women more than they do by themselves. In fact the question of educating each sex by itself has found considerable opposition from those who are best acquainted with the fundamentals of human nature, he added.

Whoever made the human race, male and female created He them, and it is intended for them to best develop their personality and live out their lives by being in constant contact one sex with another.  It is pretty well demonstrated that a life can only find its proper stimulus and interest in the presence of the opposite sex, Crane stressed.

He summed up: “It is doubtful whether a man has ever attained distinction without the presence of some of those women who are called ‘femmes inspiritrice’ by the French which means those women who are especially endowed in inspirational ability.”