The Social Science of Making Friends

The social science of making friends is fairly simple in theory. Individuals seeking friends must be open to the ideas, personalities, and backgrounds of others. People that are unwilling to listen to what others have to say and reject potential friends that have different personalities or beliefs will not have an easy time finding friendship. Maintaining friendships, however, requires a level of flexibility and self-awareness that sometimes only comes with experience. In any case, seeking friendship is a natural part of life and learning to build lasting friendships is highly beneficial to the cognitive and emotional development of children.

A desire to connect with other people is also helpful in relating with others as it creates a foundation for openness in accepting and understanding others and oneself. Yet even with these ingredients in place, some people will continue to struggle to make and keep friends. If this happens, additional effort may be needed to acquire these relationships such as seeking a therapist who specializes in peer relationships and self-expression.

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