Friendship
What it is
- The relationships you build and maintain with people you choose to have in your life, including how you invest in those bonds over time.
Why it matters
- People with strong friendships have a 50% higher likelihood of survival over a given period compared to those with weak social connections – a health effect comparable to quitting smoking.
Related life areas
- Communication – how you express yourself and connect in conversation
- Relationship quality – how well you connect, collaborate, and grow with an intimate partner
- Relationship status – finding a partner, deciding to stay or leave, and building a fulfilling life single or partnered
- Community contribution – giving back to the groups you belong to
- Personality – your social traits and how others experience you
What people value about friendship
People pursue friendship for different reasons. This site scores every friendship intervention across three core values, and ranks them by how well they deliver on the things you actually care about.
Depth
Close friendships with high trust, vulnerability, and mutual understanding. People who lean towards this value invest heavily in a smaller number of relationships where they can be fully themselves.
Breadth
A diverse network of friendships across different contexts and communities. People who lean towards this value build connections with many different kinds of people and maintain relationships across varied settings.
Growth
Friendships that challenge you to improve, learn, and develop as a person. People who lean towards this value seek out friends who hold them accountable and push them to think differently.