Friends are great to have, their importance cannot be overestimated. From the very earliest stages of life, friendship has been a natural part of the human condition. If you need to ask yourself why you need friends, then I will give you some great reasons why having friends is not only necessary. It is a positive aspect of our lives.
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Some friendships are casual and short lived, and some other people meet and form deep connections that last for years to come. As is always the situation with most things, having friends is not always an easy task. However, maintaining a healthy group of friends is worth the stress, and finally having friends makes one’s life easier and better.
For some, the main advantage of having a friend is to have a feeling of safety. Having someone to share our feelings and thoughts with when we are having a bad day or something personal happens to us makes it much easier to deal with. Someone you can tell about your deepest thoughts, fears or secrets and be assured that they would do their best to help you. What I am referring to here, are not just casual friends but very close friends that matter.
It is also a great feeling that there is someone else in the world that cares about you and understands you completely. The key advantages of having friends include:
1. They Show You Who You Are
Most people tend to pick friends that are similar to themselves in thinking and actions. Taking note of this, it is safer to say then that the kind of friends we have plays a very large part in helping us get to know ourselves better. Since friends are meant to be like-minded people, they can help us figure out what our goals and dreams are and help by encouraging us to stay on the right track while we chase our dreams.
2. A Shoulder To Lean On
In most times when we find ourselves in trouble, many people tend to turn to their friends for support, choosing them over family members. In truth, good friends can help you cope with the traumas of life events, which include illness, divorce, loss of a job or the death of a loved one. Friends can provide us with a strong shoulder to support us when we are heartbroken. With friends that will always be there for us when we need them comes a greater peace of mind, because we know that no matter what life throws at us our friends will always be there for us.
3. They Keep Us In Line
Very few strangers will tell you what you need to know out of politeness, but friends step in and tell you things the way they are. Since your friends know your ins and outs, they are in a better position to be able to spot things that you cannot see or those you choose to overlook. True friends have no problem telling you the truth, because they trust you will take their words seriously. Everyone needs a reality check once in a while and who better to give us that than those close to us. They also point out unhealthy lifestyles and habits and encourage us to avoid or change them till we do.
4. So With Them You Can Be Yourself
When you have friends you are comfortable around, there is no need to shy or hide your emotions, because you can be yourself around them. They are the ones you feel comfortable changing your clothes around, sleeping in the same room and be carefree.
5. You Can Be As Gross With Them As You Want
You can spit around them, chew your burger with the grease dripping down your finger and still not feel shy about doing any of these because you know they will not see you any differently.
6. No One Will Finish Your Sentences As Well As They Do
They have this knack of knowing what you are thinking or going to say, sometimes you start a sentence and midway they finish it for you, like they are in your head. This happens when you spend a lot of time with friends and they have come to know your line of thought and thinking.
7. They Will Tell You How It Really Is
Friends are never afraid to speak their mind, with them you get cautioned whenever you step out of line. They will tell you the truth that a casual friend or family member may not.
8. Expand Your Social Circle
Friends will introduce you to people you might have otherwise not have met. When you have friends that love socializing and meeting new people, you get the opportunity to expand your social circle. In most cases they are always eager to introduce you to someone they met and who they believe would be perfect for you.
9. They Keep You Focused
They provide the balance and focus you need in different aspect of your life. Since you derive your energy in different ways, you keep each other balanced and you are able to draw from two different perspectives.
10. You’re Always A Mystery
Being the quiet one among your friends means you draw all the attention and intrigue. People are always sort of curious to know what your story is or what is behind the silence most times. Your friend loves you even more for not caring that they are always the star of the show.
11. They Keep You Entertained
With friends the fun never stops, and it always seems like you are always doing something exciting or downright silly. They engage you in crazy stunts and dares, and when you’re feeling down about something they always know just the right game to get you out of your shell.
12. They Tell You Everything
You never have to guess what others are saying behind your back or how they are feeling, because they will always tell you what they think. They tend to wear their heart on their sleeve for you and that happens to be one of the reasons you love them so much. When around you, they are naturally expressive and never keep anything secret.
13. You Never Miss The Gist
They are always first to know the latest event or party and when it is happening. They know when the new restaurant is opening, when the carnival will take place, a spontaneous party happening last minute. You know you can always count on them to come up with fun ideas of something to do when bored.
14. They Have You Laughing Non-Stop
With them you are always saying something completely ridiculous or amusing or they are and no one can make your ribs hurt with laughter like they can. Even in the most stressed out situations they still manage to play the clown and come up with a joke to lighten up the mood.
15. They Are Better At Making Decisions
In situations where you would usually take time to really think things through, your friends are more spontaneous in their approach than you. They think fast on their feet and you know sometimes that it comes in handy when under pressure.
16. They Are The Life Of Every Party
Without them the electricity is just not there. Even if you do not mind being the center of attention, it takes the pressure off of you having a friend who is so always comfortable in the spotlight and enjoys the energy of being the item of everyone’s attention, and you appreciate being able to sit back and just observe.
17. They Are A Source Of Inspiration
With friends you find inspiration in the way they approach everything in life. They are bold and never afraid to be themselves and just put themselves out there. This positive attitude of theirs is infectious and you love how they take risks without fear of failing.
18. They Make The Best Wingman/Wing-Woman
Whenever you feel a bit shy or awkward about approaching someone to talk to them, they always have your back and will put in a good word about you anywhere any time.
19. They Are Proud Of You
Your friends are always proud of your accomplishments and will share them with others at the slightest chance they get. Even when you hate talking about yourself and feel embarrassed, you love how proud your friend is of you and how eager they are to defend your accomplishments.
20. They Are Great At Networking
They always seem to have the answers to every problem and seem to always know someone who can help you or others out of a fix. Whenever you talk about a project or discuss how you need to get people together for a particular event, they already have a ton of ideas to suggest and to put in motion.
21. Source Of Gossip
Especially with the ladies to be honest gossip is fun, the guys are not left out. And who better to gossip with than our friends about people we know and the extraordinary things that celebrities get up to and a whole lot of other things. Gossip should be fun, and when it involves our friends its all the more fun.
22. They Provide Support
One of the most important reasons why we need friends is for emotional and physical support. There are certainly times in our lives when things do not go right, and our friends are absolutely important to help us get through this period. While it would be awful to have nobody to turn to in times of need, we need to cherish our friends and they will always be there for you when you need them most.
23. Source Of Advice
Our friends on different occasions are brilliant sources of advice on all sorts of matters that elude us. When an issue is personal and delicate, who else can you ask about personal issues? Even though you do not have to follow their advice, yet it is useful to get their opinions on certain matters to help us decide what we want to do and what is the right course of action for us to take.
24. They Are Great Company
Another good point about having friends is that they provide us with great company. As social creatures we need to have contact with others of our kind. Think of how bored you get when you have not seen your friends for a while, and how great you feel after a fun night out with them. We should make efforts to get together with them and enjoy their company as much as we can.
25. Sharing Is Caring
An important aspect of having friends is that they give us the chance to share things with them. They allow us use their phones, computers and some will allow us wear their clothes. Sharing makes us feel a lot better when we are down, and really great when we have good news to report.
26. Support When You Need It
When you have positive friends, you do not need to go about requesting help from others when you need it, because they are always willing to be there for you even without asking for it. Positive individuals always want others to be happy, and they will go out of their way to brighten us up when we are feeling down or need some extra special attention.
27. They Bring Out The Best In You
Positive friends will not only help you recover from the negative hits you take in life, they will also inspire you to be the best you can be in life. This means trying new things, achieving goals, and having the kind of life you dreamed of for yourself. They give us that push we need to be better and greater.
28. You Will Get An Honest Opinion
Your best friends will always be totally honest with you. They know you very well and are able to tell it like it is. So, next time your best friend suggests you have a change of heart about something, give her credit for it and a big hug for the advice, because they have got your best interests at heart.
29. Self-Esteem Boost
If our friends are genuine, they will help us develop our self-esteem, we will be happy knowing we have someone in our life who thinks the world about us, someone who wants our opinion on most things and values our company like no other. A friend who makes us feel important.
30. They Help Lower Stress
In a two-year study of suspected patients with coronary artery disease, it was found out that those with strong support system were more likely to be alive after the two years elapsed. Not only was that, their rates of hypertension and diabetes were also lower. One explanation of this is that feeling lonely increases the production of the stress hormone in your brain, which can lead to an increase in blood pressure and hormonal imbalances. Researchers have also suggested that the nervous system actually registers social exclusion as physical pain.
31. They Help Good Habits Stick
With the aid of good friends we can learn new habits and drop the old ones. For instance, if you happen to be on the overweight side, in order to shed a few pounds you will need all the motivation you can get. Research has also shown that those who partner up to hit the gym are more likely to follow through with a consistent workout routine than those who do not.
32. They Will Stand Up For You
By having friends there will not be shortage of those who had stand up to others on your behalf. Even behind your back they had take a slug to the jaw to save face for you.
33. You Will Not Have It Any Other Way
They rule the world you live in, because they are your friends and everything and everyone else comes second. They matter to you and make your world complete.
And remember, this is a non-exhaustive list. It would take a long time to list all the benefits of having true friends. Therefore, do not even try to neglect your friends because of your new hobby, new place of residence or new boyfriend/girlfriend.
Do you agree with my ideas? Let me know below.
