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Happy National Friendship Day 2023: Friends are indeed one of the most important and beautiful parts of our lives. What would we do, if we had no friends on this Earth, would we be able to survive? Friends form the foundation of a happy and loving life and contribute majorly to the life processes of each other. From sharing sorrows, and sadness to happiness and memories, friendships are the truest human bonds.

When it comes to having friends, almost all of us must have struggled with how many friends we should have. This is a common question that the majority of us might have asked ourselves in our subconscious mind. Although there is no such thing as the right number of friends, several studies and psychologists in their research have explained how humans form friendships and how many friends an individual should have.

You can be friends with anyone, but it can be challenging to find someone who understands you, connects with you and stays with you in your tough times. According to a study in Proceedings of the Royal Society, August 2020, while you can have hundreds of acquaintances or even meaningful relationships, the number of close friends that people tend to have is around five.

How Many Friends Do You Actually Need?

Several researches suggest that the number of close friends an individual needs in adulthood is from three to five. People with three to five friends enjoy higher levels of happiness and satisfaction from their friendships. Apart from the number of friends, the quality of friends that you have also matters significantly.

Greek philosopher Aristotle described three types of friendships which included utility, pleasure and good. According to Aristotle, utility friendships are those where you are friends with each other for several benefits from each other. These are the friends we rely on for small tasks and once the benefits are sought, these types of friendships usually evaporate or dissolve.

The friendships of pleasure usually include individuals who simply enjoy each other's company. You love being with them and communicating with them. While friendships of good are the friends who value you the most and stick by your side in every situation life throws over you. These types of friends will never leave you alone and their presence enhances your happiness.

Benefits Of Having Friends

According to the Mayo Clinic, friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being, but it's not always easy to develop or maintain friendships. Having a good friend can increase your sense of belonging and purpose, boost your happiness and reduce your stress, improve your self-confidence and self-worth, and help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one and encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise.

 

(Disclaimer: This article is based on a belief and Jagran English does not vouch for the authenticty of this article.)

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