"Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore"

"I tell myself that I can't hold out forever
I said there is no reason for my fear.
Cause I feel so secure when we're together.
You give my life direction.
You make everything so clear."

Recently, I was having a very casual discussion with a friend of mine. We were talking about no topic in particular. You know, just segueing from topic to topic. I noticed she'd been dancing around the topic of relationships so I called her on it. He began telling me about this guy she'd had a crush on for a while and I happily listened. Then she mentioned that they'd been good friends for a long time.
"OBJECTION!!!"
When it comes to courting, I usually tell people to go for it (at their own discretion, of course). Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Well, that rule applies in all scenarios EXCEPT this one: Admitting to a close friend you're crushing on them. NEVER EVER EVER EVER do that!!!
Okay, honestly, I don't really mean that. As with everything, it's circumstantial and you should take the leap of faith at your discretion. I just have bad experiences in that certain field.

I've mentioned in the past how dear and valuable I consider friendship and, as I feel my close ties becoming more and more undone, I strongly urge others to strengthen and cherish the friendships they have now(but more on that some other time). So, don't get me wrong, the purpose of this piece is not necessarily to discourage dating someone with whom you have a friendly relationship, but to lay out, in a very generalized way, the possible outcomes that may develop:

On the one hand, things can go very very wrong. Imagine, if you will, a friend of the gender you're attracted to. In fact, pick the one you enjoy the most or spend the most time with. Think about all the good times you two share. All the laughs; tears; strange and awkward experiences; silent moments, satisfied with the good company you're keeping. Now imagine if that all went away. Imagine if you couldn't bring yourself to see your friend anymore. Perhaps, you may not be on speaking terms. What if you both hung out in a certain group and now, because you two won't come within a hundred yards of each other, you can't have those big group get-togethers? Even worse, what if your group's now been divided due to your falling out? See? It's friendship-suicide!... Potentially.
See what I mean? Pretty bleak, huh? I've both experienced it and seen it happen to others. It's not pretty to watch and certainly not pleasant to experience (heartbreak hurts. losing friends hurts. put 'em together and you've got twice the pain).

Now, on the other hand, let's say you've got a really good friend of the gender you're attracted to. For the sake of simplicity, let's imagine the one from the previous scenario. You two have a good time. A great time, actually. Not only that, but when the going gets rough, you both don't have to look very far for some good sense or a shoulder to cry on. If people didn't know any better, they'd say you were going out. In fact, lately you've been considering just that: what if you and your other half actually came together? Finally, one of you steps up and asks the other to take the friendship to another level and the other accepts. As a result, the relationship blossoms and even though you have a few rough patches here and there, it's a good thing you two have got going. Who knows where it'll go from there, but if you keep at it, if you keep this special person close to you and treat them well, only good can come of it.
I've known a few cases in which this scenario has been made reality. I don't have any personal experience worth mentioning here so don't take my word for it. However, there are a whole slew of people who will tell you that it was the most rewarding risk they ever took in their lives.

If you're not a big fan of pain, I suggest you keep things friendly between your friends. Just know, however, that suffering you may go through, should the relationship go south (or, in fact, any kind of emotional hurt), can be overcome with time and the right mode of thinking (I can say that from experience). Then again, you could be pleasantly surprised at what may come to pass. After all... nothing ventured, nothing gained.