Psychology Facts

▲ Friendship ▲

》Strong friendships are a critical aspect of most people's emotional well-being. Research indicates that close friendships are associated with greater happiness, self-esteem, and sense of purpose.

》Not having friends is extremely unhealthy. Almost unhealthy as smoking or overeating

》People Overcome Illness Better When They Have Friends
When faced with a major illness, people who have a strong support system are more likely to survive. It's also been shown that people who have a good group of friends live longer.

》The Strongest Friendships Are Formed From the Ages of 18 and 26
From about 18 to 26 years old, you're more likely to try out new things, which leads to meeting new people. As you get older, commitments, like marriage and children, can cause your free time to shrink, which also makes it harder to meet new people.

》In one's lifetime around 396 friends are made, but only 36 remain close through time, only around 6 lasting a lifetime

》Women Value Friendships Based on Emotional Connections
The friendships that women have usually come with intimacy and emotional connections. They like to share personal details of their life with their friends.
Women also need to maintain regular contact with someone to consider them true friends. If a long period of time has passed without speaking to someone, they are more likely to assume that they've grown apart and that the friendship is over.

》Men Value Friendships That Are Activity Based
Men prefer friendships that are centered on activity. They enjoy doing things together like watching a game or playing a sport. They don't feel as strong of a desire to share intimate details with people outside of their family.
Men can also go long periods of time without having contact with a friend, even years, and still consider that person a close companion. And, if they happen to have an argument with one of their pals, they're more likely to move on and continue their friendship than women are.
Because women's friendships tend to be more fragile, men usually make friends easier than women do.

》It's Debatable Whether Men and Women Can Actually Be Friends.
Studies show 88% of opposite-sex friendships include the male experiencing sexual attraction, as well as the male overestimating his position/attractiveness to the female
Another study on cross-sex friendship found that it might be possible in some cases. However, males were much more likely to feel some sort of attraction to their female friends than vice versa, which could result in negative consequences in long-term friendships.

》Your Close Friends Can Influence Your Eating Habits
It turns out your best friends can have an impact on your weight. If your close friends eat a healthy diet, you're more likely to do the same. But if they eat junk food often, you might notice yourself start to squeeze into your jeans.

》There's a Scientific Difference Between Friends and Acquaintances
According to behavioral scientists and psychologists, a close friendship involves an ongoing bond of sacrifice and shared moments. Also, a true friend holds your happiness in high regard, and you miss each other when you go long periods of time without seeing one another.

》Animals have friends! Cows, for example, have best friends they cannot leave without experiencing stress.

》Friendships Make You More Empathetic
It's true, friends bring out your empathic side. It's been shown in studies that your brain reacts the same way when you are in danger as when your friend is in danger. This is because people associate their true friends with their very own selves.

》You Mimic Your Friends
People who spend a lot of time together tend to pick up on each other's habits. You may notice that you start to use phrases that your friend uses more. Or, if your bestie is really into a certain sport or activity, you may also start liking it.

》Friendship Is a Vital Factor in Romantic Relationships
Couples that are best friends genuinely enjoy spending time with one another much more. And having a solid friendship is the foundation of a healthy and stable relationship; it's even more important than physical intimacy.

》Its has been shown ones close friends share about 1% of their DNA, making them as close as genetically fourth cousins.

》Friendships are more important for women than men as women are more sociable creatures

》Babies as young as 9 months old begin to recognize friendship, even if it's between strangers.

》Most people are unable to accurately identify those who have truly earned a place in their friendship network.

》Most Friends Share a Similar Age
Research shows that you're much more likely to form friendships with people of the same age or in the same age group as yourself. This is likely because we're more inclined to be friends with people who are similar to us.

》 38% of teenage boys said that their gaming handle is one of the top three things they would share with someone they wanted to be friends with