You've heard it, I've heard it -- we've all, at some point or another, heard it. Heck, you might have even said it about someone once or twice.

The "it" I'm referring to, of course, is the "friend zone." The friend zone is a recently popular yet deeply antiquated metaphor for the state of being involved in a friendship with a person who does not want any sort of romantic and/or sexual relationship with you. People tend to use friend zone in a derogatory manner, but they're totally wrong -- being in the friend zone is actually pretty damn amazing.

Here's why:

Because someone likes you enough to consider you a friend.

Would you complain if a member of the gender you were not attracted to decided they liked you and cared about you enough to consider you a member of their close inner circle? No? Then maybe don't bemoan someone of the gender you do like thinking you're worthwhile of their friendship, even if you happen to want more.

Someone wanting to be your friend is undoubtedly a high compliment -- do your best to remember that if you ever feel down about yourself that they don't want more. You'll get over it.

Because you probably like that person's personality if you're even complaining about the "friend zone."

Before you go moaning to whoever will listen about someone who has placed you in the zone, realize that you probably think this person you're talking about is pretty awesome in much more than a sexual way. So why would you ever in a million years complain about an awesome person valuing you as a human being? You're better than that.

Because friendship is less likely to cause damage, if this person isn't your one true love.

Most people who don't marry their high school or college sweetheart end up having many boyfriends, girlfriends or lovers until they find the right person. When those relationships don't work out, the majority of the time the two lovers no longer speak -- or, at the very least, the relationship goes on with some serious emotional damage incurred.

This doesn't happen with platonic friendship. Platonic friendship can be nurtured until it becomes a beautiful friendship flower you'll want to water for the rest of your life.

Because the term "friend zone" implies that you think you have the right to someone's body, and you're better than that.

As Harry Freaking Potter himself said, bemoaning your state in the "friend zone" makes you exactly the opposite of the Boy Who Lived. It's a strange, sad phenomenon that suggests that having sex with a person a few times is a higher aspiration than sharing what could be a lifetime of super awesome friendship. And you're better than that, planet Earth.

Also, because someone is nice to you, or you are kind to them, doesn't mean that either of you has the right to the other party's body. That will never be the case, so next time someone you want to sleep with tries to be your friend, maybe consider that that person is giving you an amazing f--king compliment and stop feeling sorry for yourself.