Get informed : Friends
forum about friendship
Ask your question about friendship to others or share your experience by answering to their questions in the forum about friendship.
questions about friendship
True Friendship
What is friendship?
Friendship is a connection between two or more people.
This connection is built around:
This connection is built around:
- trust
- common interests
- mutual support
- shared goals and projects
- confidences
- in-jokes
Being best friends
While the exact meaning of “best friend” varies from person to person, for most people it means someone:
- With whom you share a special connection
- With whom you spend a lot of time
- With whom you share many interests and tastes
- With whom you like to participate in sports or cultural activities
- Who you really trust
- Who you can talk to about your joys, pains, fears, and dreams
- Who we think of when we need comforting
- With whom you’re not afraid of being yourself
Being part of a group of friends
Some people prefer exclusive friendships — in other words, spending time with just one friend at a time. Others prefer being part of a group of friends; this is quite common when you're a teenager.
A group may form when a bunch of people all become friends with each other, but it may also start with two friends who gradually include their other friends, the friends of those friends, and so on.
Are there advantages to being in a group? Being a member of a group can be a great way to learn about different types of people. Doing things together or just hanging out together is one way of being friends.
Blood Feud! A fight between friends is hard enough, but when it involves a whole group, it gets really complicated. These situations often force people to choose sides, which can create bad feelings or even tear the group apart! Have you had to cope with conflicts in your group of friends? Were you all able to keep the situation from getting nasty or breaking up the group? Knowing how to patch up conflicts may minimize the effects of fights or problems in the group (read more here about conflict resolution).
Threesomes. All it takes to form a group is three friends. But three-person groups can become stressful if one friend feels neglected or thinks the other two like each other better. Do all three of you feel free to talk about your feelings with each other? How do you manage to keep anyone from feeling rejected (read more here about difficult situations in friendships)?
Changes. Over time, groups of friends can change. You may go through periods in which you only want to have friends that are the same sex as you, and other periods in which you'll feel like having friends of both sexes. With time, you'll probably find that you become friends with someone because you really like them and have things in common with them, not because they're a guy or a girl.
A group may form when a bunch of people all become friends with each other, but it may also start with two friends who gradually include their other friends, the friends of those friends, and so on.
Are there advantages to being in a group? Being a member of a group can be a great way to learn about different types of people. Doing things together or just hanging out together is one way of being friends.
Blood Feud! A fight between friends is hard enough, but when it involves a whole group, it gets really complicated. These situations often force people to choose sides, which can create bad feelings or even tear the group apart! Have you had to cope with conflicts in your group of friends? Were you all able to keep the situation from getting nasty or breaking up the group? Knowing how to patch up conflicts may minimize the effects of fights or problems in the group (read more here about conflict resolution).
Threesomes. All it takes to form a group is three friends. But three-person groups can become stressful if one friend feels neglected or thinks the other two like each other better. Do all three of you feel free to talk about your feelings with each other? How do you manage to keep anyone from feeling rejected (read more here about difficult situations in friendships)?
Changes. Over time, groups of friends can change. You may go through periods in which you only want to have friends that are the same sex as you, and other periods in which you'll feel like having friends of both sexes. With time, you'll probably find that you become friends with someone because you really like them and have things in common with them, not because they're a guy or a girl.
Friends forever?
“You’ll always be my friend!” — that’s a promise lots of friends make, but is it really one they can keep? Can you really stay friends for life? Well yes, it is possible...
Time changes everything. What makes it difficult to stay friends for your whole lives is that everyone changes. Over time, your interests, the activities you like, the way you see the world, your relationships — everything will change! And to make things even more complicated, your friends change, too.
So what can you do to help your friendship survive? Your friendships have to adapt and change, too! Are you prepared to see your friends less frequently if you don’t go to the same school? Can you accept the fact that your friend has a girlfriend or boyfriend? And what if you move to another town? All these things can put your friendships to the test!
Know how to resolve conflicts. Friendships only last if the friends can cope with the conflicts and misunderstandings that inevitably arise. Are you able to talk to your friends about the problems between you? If you tend to take things hard and pout, your friendship may crumble! Your goal should not be to avoid every single conflict, but to be able to resolve any conflicts you do have!
"See ya later!" For all kinds of reasons, you may need to take some time out from a friend. You may go through periods in which you see some friends more and others less. It's normal for friendships to have breaks, intense periods, and temporary —and even permanent — separations!
In short, making a friendship work takes
Time changes everything. What makes it difficult to stay friends for your whole lives is that everyone changes. Over time, your interests, the activities you like, the way you see the world, your relationships — everything will change! And to make things even more complicated, your friends change, too.
So what can you do to help your friendship survive? Your friendships have to adapt and change, too! Are you prepared to see your friends less frequently if you don’t go to the same school? Can you accept the fact that your friend has a girlfriend or boyfriend? And what if you move to another town? All these things can put your friendships to the test!
Know how to resolve conflicts. Friendships only last if the friends can cope with the conflicts and misunderstandings that inevitably arise. Are you able to talk to your friends about the problems between you? If you tend to take things hard and pout, your friendship may crumble! Your goal should not be to avoid every single conflict, but to be able to resolve any conflicts you do have!
"See ya later!" For all kinds of reasons, you may need to take some time out from a friend. You may go through periods in which you see some friends more and others less. It's normal for friendships to have breaks, intense periods, and temporary —and even permanent — separations!
In short, making a friendship work takes
Making friends
Everyone has their own way of making friends and developing a group of friends. Some people find making friends easy, while other find it tough. Making friends can be particularly hard for someone who’s shy or who has just moved to a new neighbourhood. Here are a few tips to help you meet interesting people and make friends:
Know yourself! Think about what you like to do and what makes you happy. If you get involved in activities you like and are interested in, you'll increase your chances of meeting people with whom you have things in common. What do you think?
Dare to take the first step when you meet someone you’d like to be friends with. For example, you could begin by smiling at them, saying hi, and then starting a conversation with them.
Show interest in others. When you meet new people, listen to them and ask them questions, to show you're interested in them and want to learn more about them. If someone seems interested in you in return, you can suggest doing something together (for example, doing homework together, practicing a sport, watching a movie at your place).
“The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!” With friends, honesty is often the best policy. After all, other people want to develop a connection with you, not with the person you pretend to be!
Equality. Friendship is often born from the sharing of experiences and secrets. What's more, it’s a relationship of equals. Is there a balance between the room you take up in the friendship and the room your friend takes up?
Loyalty. Do you think that good friends talk behind their friend’s back or spread rumours about them? It's absolutely essential to respect the people you like and be loyal to them!
Know yourself! Think about what you like to do and what makes you happy. If you get involved in activities you like and are interested in, you'll increase your chances of meeting people with whom you have things in common. What do you think?
Dare to take the first step when you meet someone you’d like to be friends with. For example, you could begin by smiling at them, saying hi, and then starting a conversation with them.
Show interest in others. When you meet new people, listen to them and ask them questions, to show you're interested in them and want to learn more about them. If someone seems interested in you in return, you can suggest doing something together (for example, doing homework together, practicing a sport, watching a movie at your place).
“The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!” With friends, honesty is often the best policy. After all, other people want to develop a connection with you, not with the person you pretend to be!
Equality. Friendship is often born from the sharing of experiences and secrets. What's more, it’s a relationship of equals. Is there a balance between the room you take up in the friendship and the room your friend takes up?
Loyalty. Do you think that good friends talk behind their friend’s back or spread rumours about them? It's absolutely essential to respect the people you like and be loyal to them!