Friendship Makes Life Easier, and Also Makes Us Happier.

“Without friends no one would want to live, though possessed all other goods […]; because what good is this kind of prosperity if it is deprived of the power to do good, to be preferentially exerted and more praiseworthy manner regarding friends? ”
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Friendship makes life easier, as said by Aristotle, and also makes us happier. The data was provided by Burt years ago with his study of friendship and correlation with happiness. When a person claimed to have five or six friends to share their problems had a 60% greater chance of saying that he/she was very happy. Therefore, the art of cultivating friends is one of the skills that although is not always teach to helps us to face difficulties and savor the moments shared.

Friendships also rescue us from corrosive loneliness, and makes us live longer and better quality of life. Is estimated that a quarter of Asian people say they feel alone. This is the conclusion of a study by the Australian Flinders University. For 10 years they analyzed the social relations of 1,477 people over 70 years old and it was correlated with longevity. The conclusion is very revealing: those with more and better relationships with friends, not with family, came to have a better chance to survive. Therefore, friendship is also an elixir of youth.

But beware, friendship is an art and an experience that relies on generosity and to look at the other person with kind eyes. Friends care for us and protect us even our own criticisms. Why do we call friends when we are feeling down? Because they are the ones that can connect with the kind side of us that even we forget about ourselves. This doesn’t mean that friend won’t confront us or will always agree with us. Otherwise, it isn’t a true friend. As Josep Pla said, in life “there are friends, acquaintances, and people we say hi to”. With friends you we show our true selves with no fear of being judged, and with acquaintances we share superficial conversations, though of course sometimes necessary.

Friendship doesn’t get eroded over time. We can reconnect with an old friend after years of not having any contact. That’s the magic of friendship. It‘s woven of threads that gives meaning to our lives.

Recipes

Take the Burt test: With how many friends can you share an important problem? If they are more than six, you’re probably a happy person.

Check your calendar and think of how much time you spend with your friends. If you think it’s insufficient make plans to be closer to them.

Surprise a friend with something nice: a gift, a phone call, a visit … this will make you feel good.