Yes, it has been my experience that I can be friends with men in given situations without even the temptation of sexual involvement. And even if there is a sexual buzz, you don't have to act on it, in fact, both of you can know it's there and decide not to act on it, and that can make the friendship stronger. And I belive this can hold true whether each or both is married or single. It's a decision.
I've probably posted this somewhere else, but this is why no outsider can go in and "break up" a marriage unless the soon-to-be-straying partner is already looking. There has to be a fissure, a crack, in the marital shield, if you will, in order for an outsider to even make an impression.
In my younger less enlightened days I did sometimes see a married guy who looked appealing and I would put out non-physical feelers-- you know, looks, comments... a guy (and I'm sure this goes for a woman, too) who's in a troubled situation will respond in some way. A totally committed person will present a totally teflon front that your advances will just slide off of. When you look at them and attempt to "connect," all you will see in their eyes is friendship. I had this experience plenty of times. (And a few times, I didn't.)
I realize on this board we have troubled people in troubled marriages. THAT'S what makes you vulnerable. A person who is vulnerable to straying is already looking over his/her partner's shoulder. That has been my EXPERIENCE-- not a supposition or a theory on my part.
But even two single people, male and female, aren't automatically going to have some kind of sexual relationship. This seems absurd to me-- not every man is going to find every woman attractive and vice versa.
It's also possible that I'm something of an anomaly, and that in given situations I choose not to give out any sexual vibe at all. I worked for a few years doing therapeutic massage-- yes I was trained and registered with the state. I only had a couple of customers proposition me and then in the most oblique way. I set a very firm boundary during the sessions with my attitude, my comments, my way of touching, and no one made any real move to cross it.
I think the same thing can happen in the regular world. A man and a woman can set a boundary and simply decide not to test it or cross it. Now if one feels they will be constantly tempted to cross the boundary they set for themselves, that's another matter. And that speaks of trouble at home. JMPO.
