one of the worst concepts ever created in the dating world. A concept that allows men to go into denial about the rejection they've experienced call it something else that sounds better to them and continue to persist beyond the initial rejection.
the truth is there is no such thing as friend zone. Rejection is still rejection regardless of what watered down sugar coated name you wrap around it.
The friend zone does exist and so does rejection. They can exist simultaneously. If you are in the friend zone, you have been rejected at one point. What makes being in the friend zone so unique is that the woman doesn't mind you in their life, just not on the level that you wish to be with her. No doubt, this is still rejection, but most men who fall into this precarious situation do so because they took something rather than nothing, hoping that if he remained close to her, she would one day change her mind.
Nobody denies that it is a form of rejection, nor are we trying to establish whether it is better or worse than being rejected and moving on. Only thing we can confirm is that it is a place you don't want to be because you wanted to pursue more than a friendship.