How often do you think male friends succeed in getting out of the friend zone?

If a man is your friend, you have already vetted him not to be partner material. Men wearing women down is a trope that has led to men (stalkers) pursing women and ending in the death of the woman by the man.

Here's a relevant XKCD for settling.

My partner was in the "aquaintance" zone before we started dating, aka we first started talking when I was still in a relationship. I didn't signal availability whatsoever, he knew I was taken. He didn't make any inappropriate moves either. But he was interested in me from the start (we had also known each other from school). When I left my shitty ex, he took his chance, but never pushed me or pulled any "nice guy" shit on me. So yeah, it can happen, some men can and do wait around for a woman they're interested in. But it's very important that they don't complain about the friendzone, that they can keep themselves in check, and respect the woman's boundaries 100%.

I know at least one such case where a man waited for years and snatched up my friend the moment she separated from her husband. I think he is a much better match for her than her ex and she is happy with him.

She said she liked him from the moment they've met and she could tell that he liked her back, there was an obvious chemistry between them. But since she was married she never gave him a reason to think there could be anything more than a platonic friendship between them (or so she thought).

In the meantime, he was very respectful of her marriage but did cultivate a friendship (they share a common interest, that's how they've met in the first place) while trying to find a partner of his own. When she became single he was also single and he began courting her.

I don't know if he was sincerely a friend without any ulterior motive, but he was attracted to her the entire time (his words). So yeah, it does happen.

no guts, no glory. men who don't make an effort and take a risk get more of nothing.

i'm focused on levelling up. if he doesn't make it abundantly clear that he is going to add to my life, it's like he doesn't exist.

if he doesn't pass my vetting standards, he's dead to me.

and if i do happen to let my guard down, and he takes advantage,

he's dead to me. block o'clock, deleteboiBYE.

I actually have a policy now--not befriending ugly men, as they are more likely to be lurkers

I developed interest in a guy who was *just my friend* for years. We went on a few dates but I didn't see the relationship progressing. Why? Because he had a harem of other girls he was still in contact with and secretly pining after too. Before we decided to date, I was just another girl in his harem. I ended things with him and we went from talking to each other every day for years, to never speaking again. Men and women cannot be friends.

I never really had that “nice male friend“

All the male friends I had that secretly liked me turned out be pornsick, resentful and stalkerish.