This insightful post sheds light on the advantages of having a close friend outside your own gender, including how the friendship can strengthen other relationships. Here is Benefit #4:
A better perspective on gender issues. Being married and having sons helps me have a better understanding of how men view the world. But friends shape our worldview in a unique manner, and having a close friend of the opposite gender can allow me to get feedback on ways that I present ideas that a female friend might not be able to notice or that my husband might overlook because he’s married to me. My approach to gender issues is more nuanced because of my friendship with a man.
Image: PatrickYHC via Flickr