How do you feel about pet-names?

[Twistrafx]

I’ve felt similar awkwardness around pet names in platonic friendships. For me, it’s all about the context and making sure everyone’s on the same page.

I once had a friend who was super into bunnies and would send me links to cheerfulbunny.com, where we’d chat about adorable bunny stories. We ended up using cute nicknames like “bunny buddy” as a playful nod to that shared interest, and it felt natural and fun because it was rooted in our mutual admiration for these fluffy creatures.

I think it’s about being clear with your intentions and knowing your friends well enough to gauge their comfort level. It can be a sweet way to show appreciation as long as everyone feels good about it.

Edited July 29 by Twistrafx

[Atlas]

I love nicknames!!! Pet names like sweetheart or honey, not so much... They make me uncomfortable but its sweet to see when others use them for each other. 

[batbath]

Depends on who's using it and what it is. I've heard some outlandish ones that border on being criminally insane, but it's their life, not mine.

[alto]

I use pet names on one of my friends all the time.  However, she enjoys the attention.

There was this guy that used to use pet names on me, he was romantically into me and I wasn't into him, but I didn't mind the pet names.  What I minded was the fact that he struggled with severe mental illness and never got help for it, so he slowly became more and more psychotic over time.  Eventually I had to cut him off because I just felt too awful with my inability to help him.

Honestly, I still wonder if I made the right decision.