Friend zone
The friend zone is a folk psychology concept found in many texts geared towards a male audience about "dating advice", or "seduction advice". It states that a woman, within the first several minutes of meeting a man, is open to having an intimate relationship with him until certain faults emerge in his personality. In that case, that man would be mentally categorized as a "friend" rather than a lover, i.e. put into the friend zone. The key element is that, once there, it is almost impossible for a man to get out, that is, it is almost impossible for a woman to change her mind and become sexually attracted to that man. This is said to be very different from how a male's mind would work, and as a result leads to a string of false expectations on the part of the man.
Many dating seminars and texts focus on how to avoid the friend zone, advising immediate cessation of all contact once a man finds himself in the friend zone. It should be noted that this is often paired with a philosophy designed to help a man have sex with women, with a priority on constantly meeting new women. Its value for helping a man find a secure, loving relationship is uncertain.
The term friend zone was popularized by a 1994 episode of the television sitcom Friends, where character Ross Geller, lovesick for Rachel Green, was labeled "Mayor of the Friend Zone".