can you really be a friend with your ex?

My best friend and I dated for about a month, definitely not as serious as your relationship may have been. We went down a rocky road--he said that we should just be friends, I said okay. Something happened, and that stopped for several months. But, January of last year, our friendship restarted itself and we have been the best of friends since--a good one and a half year later. So, even if a friendship does not seem likely now, it can happen. It depends on whether or not the two of you can handle a friendship, as you said, but also it needs time.

I think it is possible but it didn't work that way with me. For one thing his new girlfriend had jealousy issues, so I couldn't call or e-mail him except at work. Then I was forbidden to ever mention our 'former relationship'. Then I was told friends don't talk to each other about their feelings (it wasn't about my feelings for him, just feeling upset or happy or whatever about something else). He just kept putting so many rules on it that it didn't feel like a friendship any more.

Yes it can be. It happens to me and all you need is to throw all the negative memories that you have and accept the reality for the two of you. But it must be a joint effort cause if one is not willing be a friend again it will not work out.

I think it is definitely possible. In my experience, i think you can be friends with someone who is your ex as long as both people no longer have feelings for each other. if one person likes the other...it isn't gonna happen. someone will get hurt.