In fact, friendship does not fit any definition. This is a relationship that cannot be described in words.
Friends are the ones who make you feel good, they will laugh at the most awkward moment of your life to make you feel better. They are the ones who will be next to you in times of happiness and in those moments when you need them most.
When the world turns towards you, they will be there for you. The importance of friendship in our lives cannot be described.
The basis of any relationship is friendship. Whether it is with your spouse, children, co-worker or neighbor, friendship will be the foundation of the relationship. Without friends, life would be boring and meaningless.
Here are 15 reasons why friendship is so important.
Supports us in difficult times
Everyone goes through difficult phases in life. At times like these, you need a shoulder to cry on. Friends can give just that. They will be there to listen to meaningless conversations and still acknowledge everything you say to ease your heart.
They will be there to advise you on how to get through the difficult time you are going through. They will show you the kindness you need when you are in trouble. They are the ones who understand you and will give you positive energy in any situation.
The importance of friendship in our life
Keeps us active
Friends will do anything at any time. They can take you on an adventure trip or to some beautiful place. When you don't have friends, you'll likely spend time at home alone, playing video games or watching TV. But with friends you are more likely to go out to play or visit clubs and other places.
Friends will always keep you on your toes, so you will be active all day. This will help you lead a healthy lifestyle.
importance of friendship day
Who can you call a friend?
A friend, as Wikipedia explains, is a sworn brother, a comrade, a sworn brother, but not a blood relative.
A friend can be called a person who understands that friendship is a 24-hour concept. Only a friend is ready to pick up the phone at any time of the day or night, listen or rush to help, without demanding anything in return. Like in a good children's song:
There are friends, and for them, friends have no days off!
A friend is a person you can rely on, who will never let you down or betray you.
Being friends does not mean living your friend’s life instead. Being friends means always being close
Mental growth
Friendship helps the mind grow into a healthy garden and protects it from withering. Friends help overcome the dark thoughts of the mind. They help you focus on the important things in life. They can refresh your thoughts with humor and fun activities.
Friendship trains the mind to forget about negative thoughts. Negative thoughts may flood your mind. They eat up a person's happiness. It becomes difficult for a person to focus on positive things in life. Friends are one of the best cures for this problem. Friends can get you out of bad mental situations. They help us see things with greater clarity. They show us the brighter side of our problems. By focusing on the positive side, these problems can be overcome. When you are alone, it is impossible to face your problems alone all the time.
We need someone with whom we can share our problems. Someone who can hear your problems without judging you. Friends try their best to help you overcome negative thoughts and adopt a more positive approach to life. Friendship helps keep your mental health from being disrupted or disturbed. Friends are the gardeners of a person's mentality.
Stress control
Having friends relieves stress. Friends will make you take your mind off the boring routine or stressful problems in your life. They are there when your life seems chaotic. Friends force you to look at your mistakes constructively. You can improve your working methods.
Friends know how to make you realize your mistakes. They will not make you feel ashamed or embarrassed in front of other people. They correct our ways and create better versions of ourselves.
When you are stuck in the rut of academics or working in an office, friends will be there to make you feel better. Friendship helps relieve stress from such monotonous routine tasks. Friends have meaningful conversations with you. As you live your life, you often need guidance and advice.
Sometimes we act stubborn or tend to do things without thinking. The mind at this time becomes blind and does not think about the consequences. Friends are there to talk to you so you can see the error of your ways. They prevent us from making mistakes that we might regret later in our lives. These mistakes can also cause harm to other people as well as the person himself.
About friendship and friends. How to properly maintain friendships?
What is friendship for you? Who do you call your friend? And how do you maintain friendship? Sometimes it's worth asking yourself these questions. We take many things for granted without thinking about whether they function correctly.
Friendship and relationships with people are the most important part of our lives, which can enrich us and help us every day. But friendship (or what we call it) can also become a cause of negativity, begin to pull us back, and prevent us from developing.
What does this depend on? It just depends on how we treat friendship and what place we give it in our lives. And there are many distortions here. I will tell you about the most common of them:
- Friends as a way to drain negativity
- Friends who violate our boundaries and dump negativity on you
- Friends as partners for destructive psychological games
Friends as a way to drain negativity
Many of us use friends as psychologists, and meetings with them as a way of psychological release. We tell them about our difficulties, complain about life - sometimes for years. What could be the problem here?
In addition to the fact that no one is obliged to constantly be our vest, there is another important point. Unfortunately, people who endlessly listen to our outpourings cannot always be called true friends. We may think that they are supporting us and sympathizing with us, but usually they do this with their own hidden agenda. As a rule, this is self-affirmation and the opportunity to look smarter and stronger than the one who is supported. When we tell them again and again how bad things are for us, they are convinced over and over again that they are much more successful than us.
They say, “friends are made in adversity.” In my opinion, this is not the case. True friends are known through joy. If everything became fine and wonderful for you, and your friend at the same time maintained her friendship with you and did not burst with envy, this is a really good friend. And to pat you in the head and feel sorry when something is wrong - what’s easier?
Friends are not those who are sad with us about our failures, but those who rejoice in our successes.
If negativity is leaked to us
For many, the opposite situation is relevant, when girlfriends and friends constantly tell you about their difficulties, demanding sympathy. You consider yourself obligated to maintain friendly relations, but this is a burden to you. And here you need to look at yourself. Firstly, most likely, this is due to the inability to maintain one’s personal boundaries and respect one’s interests. And secondly - again with a feeling of superiority - only now yours over others.
Personal boundaries
Helping friends is wonderful. But your interests should still be a priority. First you and your family, and then your friends. Sometimes we can drop everything and rush to a friend if something serious really happened to him. But such things happen once every few years, and not at all regularly. If your girlfriend or friend regularly complains to you on the phone, and as a result you do not have time to talk to your husband or your mood deteriorates, this indicates that you are being used.
Motivation
It is very important what your goals are. If you help out of completeness and a sincere desire to support, that’s one thing. But if at this moment you feel significant and important, like an expert who helps a confused beginner, that’s completely different. And this option speaks of problems in your own life. Most likely, there is disorder in some area and that is why this false significance is so important.
Whether you leak negativity or they leak it to you is ultimately not that important. It is important that this is a psychological game where everyone gets their own hidden benefit. And where no one has the desire to really change anything. If your friendships are formed according to this principle, think about what benefits you have.
Playmates
Another option for friendship is a “club of interests”, more precisely, of psychological games. You may be familiar with such clubs. There they can endlessly discuss the government, illnesses, problems in the family, with husbands and wives. And what is important first of all is not the topics that people discuss there, but the mood. Either on accusations - that someone is to blame for their problems, or on the negative aspects of life in general. An important feature of the games is that club members are not ready to abandon the proven communication algorithm. If, for example, every time people meet they discuss how bad everything is in life, the one who suddenly decides to break away from the team will not meet with understanding.
For example, you were a member of a club where you and your friends spent years discussing their husbands and their shortcomings (The “It’s All Because of Him” Game), and then for some reason you stopped considering your husband the cause of your unhappiness. Let's say we went to a psychologist or underwent training. If at the next “club meeting” you try to talk about your new attitude, they simply will not understand you and will not support you. And if you persist, you will most likely be “expelled.” I think it’s clear that the idea here is not friendship, but partnership in play.
What is friendship?
I will offer you my understanding of friendship, which I have developed over time, communicating with different people and working on myself. It is not suitable for everyone, because each of us has our own needs and tasks. But you can use my ideas and form your own vision of friendship. It is very important to realize why you communicate and meet other people, what you expect from them and what you can give them yourself.
And there is such an important criterion that I once very clearly outlined for myself. I definitely don’t need people in my life who don’t know how to be sincerely happy for me, no matter what they are like or who they are. I stop communicating with such people as soon as I understand that they do not know how to be sincerely happy for me and will not learn. This is the first very important rule.
What else is important to me in friendship:
- Friendship is the same type of activity
- This is voluntary at any time.
- Balance (we take into account our own interests and at the same time are able to give something to others)
- Friendship - Opportunities for Growth
Activity
In my opinion, it is important to treat friendship as an activity. And understand why you are meeting a person. You can relax together - this is also an activity. But it is important to understand why you are communicating. Maybe the person is broadcasting something that is close to you or can give advice - only real advice, and not an opportunity to cry into your vest! Maybe you exchange interesting information, energy or ideas.
All these are goals, and it is important to recognize them. And you, of course, have every right to meet with your friend to complain to her about your bitter lot. But it is important to understand that this is unlikely to bring you development.
Voluntariness
You don't owe anything to anyone. Not to friends, not to acquaintances, not to be a good person, not to look like a real friend. The opposite also applies: your friends also have the right to communicate with you as and when they see fit. The development of friendships does not always happen the way we want it, but it is important to understand that the other side also has its own interests.
Balance
As with everything, a balance of give and take is important in friendship. On the one hand, you need to understand that you are not obliged to support your friends at any time of the day or night, to the detriment of yourself and your business, on the other hand, you need to understand that every person wants to get something. It is important to understand what you can give to people who will communicate with you. But not from the position of “I’ll tear the last thing away from myself,” but from a position of abundance and wealth. That is, you need to share what you have a lot of, be it joy, knowledge, delicious food or hospitality.
Opportunities for growth
In the article about the environment, I pointed out how important for our development is who we communicate with. And first of all, this applies to friends and family. Friends, if we communicate with them a lot, influence us, even in some sense create us. If they can serve as an example for you in something, this is an ideal case.
What kind of friends do I have?
Try to analyze what kind of friends you have and what kind of relationships you have. How does this affect you? You may find that you interact with people from a place of broken boundaries, that you have a habit of constantly listening to complaints - or complaining yourself. You may find yourself playing psychological games, constantly bashing the government or partners.
How to proceed? You cannot one day part with all your friends and make new ones. You won’t give up on your loved ones, but you can change the situation. To change it, you need to do something with yourself. It is you who need to give up psychological games, complaints, and listening to the same complaints at inopportune times. Set boundaries and gradually you will see results. After some time, some of the friends will agree to interact in a new way, and with others the communication will fade away.
What to do with the state of negativity?
And the last piece of advice I will give. Each of us sometimes experiences a negative state that is difficult to experience. And sometimes you want to “take it” to your friends. Next time you have this urge, try something different. Try to live through this state, honestly meet it halfway, and realize it. When we go towards negative states, they are very often quickly experienced and recede. And this is a very healthy way of dealing with them, as opposed to complaining to friends and girlfriends.
Other ways to live and express negative states are in the article “Eco-friendly ways to live through emotions.”
Vadim Kurkin
Physical growth
Together with friends, not only mental but also physical health improves. When friends participate in various physical activities, they convince you to take part in them too. Sports and games help to achieve a healthy and strong body. Playing sports expands the capabilities of the mind and body. As they teach you, playing with friends becomes even more rewarding. If you are unable to do a certain thing, they will help you achieve it through various methods.
Friends don't make fun of people about their physical health or appearance. They are trying to improve you along with themselves. They invest time and effort into you to become a better person.
Both physical and mental health complement each other. A mentally healthy person will be more inclined to exercise. Therefore, it will improve his physique.
Involving friends improves both mental and physical health. Friends lift your spirits when you exercise. They congratulate you when you win and encourage you to try your best when you lose. They don't make you feel weak or incompetent. Recognition from friends strengthens trust in a person. This confidence helps a person break out of an unhealthy routine. A person tends to engage in more fruitful and healthy activities.
Psychology of friendship: nuances and secrets
The main secret of friendship is that it is possible only under one condition: the satisfaction from communicating with a person turns out to be greater than the work of creating and maintaining this union. The truth may not sound too lofty, but the fact remains that the balance between contribution and return is important.
The psychology of friendship suggests the following points:
- exchange: friends are ready for mutual services and support, they exchange information and energy;
- confidence in your loved one: if you do not doubt your friend’s loyalty and reliability, it means that everything in your relationship is going as it should;
- correct relationships with third parties: the desire to protect a friend from the attacks of others, an adequate perception of his social circle, respect for the other half of a friend, etc.;
- maintaining a fine line between intrusiveness and indifference.
An important point: in friendship, people are always looking for something pleasant. Usually we are talking about things like:
- joint hobbies;
- sincere conversations to help cope with stress;
- inspiration;
- finding a clear example to follow;
- support (both physical and psychological) in difficult situations.
Analyze your friendships. What can you give to others? What do others get from you? This is an interesting and useful activity.
Social improvement
Friends are good for social company. As people move into society, people cannot remain completely alone. People need company, and friends are the best company. Friends are attentive to your likes and dislikes. Friends help you become more socially active and smart. By staying with good friends, a person learns the manners and behavior that should be in society.
Some people may make you feel socially anxious and insecure. You need to learn to cope with such situations and people. Friends prove to be very valuable in such scenarios. They try to prevent such situations from arising. If somehow these situations do arise, they stand up for you. Gradually, a person masters the skills of interaction and communication.
To give a push
Friends are one of life's valuable assets. Friendship helps you build each other and can help you overcome your fears and achieve your life's goals. Often in life there are some fears that prevent people from pursuing what they desire. Friends push you out of your comfort zone so you can learn new things. They make you realize that fear is just a voice in our head. This voice continues to feed the mind with negativity. This negativity creates barriers to healthy thinking.
Overcoming fear makes it easier to get things done. For example, if you want to perform a specific task. Friends will help you by teaching you and letting you know it's not difficult. They will appreciate your efforts even if you want to quit smoking. Sometimes they add humor to the situation so that you don't get discouraged by your failures. They will keep you at it and after a while you will become better at it. It would be very difficult without friends. Friends make it easier to achieve your goals.
Friendship fills life with meaning
A person who remains lonely and has no friends will find it difficult to live with people. They find it difficult to determine what to do. Friendship adds purpose to life because friends encourage you to go after what you want. They help you move through life with a more determined and focused approach. It's hard to find good friends, you have to invest time and effort in people to make friends.
Friends stay with you through the toughest and worst times of your life. When a person feels completely lost and broken, friends come to the rescue. Friends see your smiles and know when you're hurting. They know you better than other people. Not everyone understands the intention and purpose of your actions and words. Friends respect your ideas and thoughts.
We humans want to be understood. Friends fulfill this wish and help to control your mind and thoughts. They understand and know who you really are. As it is rightly said: “One of the most beautiful qualities of friendship is to understand and be understood.”
As they say, “anything is possible if you have the right people around you.” This means that when you have good friends in your life, your life goals become easier to achieve. Friends are an important part of a person's life because they are there for you through thick and thin. Life without friends will not be easy.
What it is?
Based on the definition of psychology, friendship is a relationship between people, the foundation of which is mutual sympathy, common interests, and spiritual closeness . True friendship is built on mutual respect, understanding and mutual assistance.
But at the same time, you can meet different people in life. Some people can’t imagine how they can get along without friends or at least one true friend. Others don’t know how to make friends at all, and still others don’t even want to. And if at the same time there are those who would really like to make friends, but due to certain factors this does not work out, then there are others who are more comfortable alone, and have no one in their world they don't want to let me in.
This cannot be called the norm, since friendship is a very large and important component of our lives and no less important than love.
Friendship allows you to show your best qualities, such as kindness, respect, empathy, the desire to help, the ability to support in difficult times, to be sincerely happy for another person and to be upset with him if something goes wrong . All this, in turn, can be received from another person and count on the manifestation of the best qualities in relation to you. True friendship is a sincere attitude towards each other and a great desire to see each other often, communicate, and participate in events together.
If one person shows interest and is always ready to be there at the first call, and the second only takes advantage of this, this is not real friendship, but one-sided, unrequited.
And in this case, you need to think about whether you are so attached to a person to be content with such an attitude, or whether self-respect and unwillingness to put up with an unfair situation comes first.
But in general, true sincere friendship can only bring positive emotions and fill life with meaning . This is no less significant than the presence of love, family, children, and work in life. A person who feels complete must have friends. And it doesn’t matter at all whether fate sent people to different cities or not. The main thing is to always feel that there are no distances for friendship. Calls, correspondence, visiting each other bring great joy to both. And if people have not lost the desire to communicate after many years, to share secrets with each other, to solve problems together, this is friendship.
Of course, you shouldn’t think that in friendship everything is perfect and cloudless, quarrels and misunderstandings never arise. All this can happen for various reasons; opinions may differ greatly; the behavior of a loved one may seem unacceptable.
It happens that the conflict drags on, and people even break up, despite the fact that the friendship seemed strong and eternal. But in many cases, everyone in their own time comes to understand that without this person it is very bad, and some things can be understood and forgiven, everything can be discussed calmly. Most often, friends manage to come to a consensus, especially if they feel that they feel very bad without each other.
Conclusion
Unless you suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD), there is no reason why you shouldn't have friends. Only people with this syndrome avoid friendships altogether.
The reasons mentioned here are enough to understand the importance of friendship. Don't miss the chance to make new friends. You should always appreciate the love and care they give you.
After high school and college, you will move in different directions in life. But if your friendship is strong, you will always find them by your side when you need them, even after years of being apart. Friends are those who are not related to you by blood, but sometimes they are closer to you than your own relatives.
How is it different from love and companionship?
Relationships with people have different aspects, and in the course of life, of course, you meet many people with whom you have different contacts. At the same time, friendship can always be distinguished from other feelings.
Friendliness, for example, can be shown towards all people. The person just has such a positive attitude and good attitude towards life. As an example, consider having lunch with a colleague or discussing an interesting film. A person in such situations can show friendliness and help a neighbor or hobby partner with something. But this does not mean friendship. This is just pleasant, non-binding communication, nothing more.
If a girl is friends with a boy or a woman with a man, even a married man, this can remain a strong friendship based on common interests, joint hobbies, and a similar worldview. But under certain circumstances, this can develop into love. And the reasons for this may be different. If a girl likes a boy and they go to the cinema together, it is not at all surprising if falling in love follows.
From the point of view of many people, friendship between people of different sexes cannot exist. But in fact, this is far from the case; it’s just that not everyone has access to this type of relationship.
But when a man and a woman have been friends for many years, everything can be different. And signs of love, either from one side or the other, can become noticeable. In this case, the situation can become extremely difficult. People will have to understand that if they cross a certain line, the friendship can be lost. Love is, of course, a wonderful feeling, but sexual attraction appears, and this is the main difference from friendship.
But oddly enough, even a man who is promiscuous and leads a rather wild lifestyle can have a female friend whom he trusts and can always count on for advice or support . Life is full of amazing stories and twists, and sometimes incredible things happen to people. Therefore, it is completely wrong to categorically state that this or that type of friendship does not exist just because it has never happened to you. And does anyone have the right to judge and make their assessment of the relationship between two people? Only they themselves can know what is happening to them, and what the feeling they feel for each other is called.
