1. According To Aristotle, There Are 3 Types Of Friendships:

• Friendships of Utility (The Acquaintance) – these are friendships that exist between two people who find each other useful in some way—such as coworkers or neighbors you trade responsibilities with when one of you are away.

• Friendships of Pleasure: (The Casual Friend) – these are friendships with people whose company you enjoy. This is the pal you call when you want to have a good time with no strings attached. You have fun together, but this isn’t likely to be someone you go to when you need a shoulder to cry on or for career advice.

• Friendships of Virtue: (The Bestie) – these are the friendships that take longest to develop and are based on mutual respect and admiration. They tend to be more powerful and endure longer. They often begin in childhood or adolescence, but many come after that as well. These are the friends you call when you need a shoulder to cry on and trust this person to listen, but also be honest when it’s time to stop crying and get back to kicking ass. These kinds of friendships require mutual vulnerability, lack of judgement, and a willingness to work through disagreements.

Studies show that all three types of friendships have certain benefits, but it’s good to have a balance. If all your friendships lean toward the superficial (the Acquaintance and the Casual Friend) it might be time to evaluate yourself and why you’re not letting anyone close enough to you to be a Bestie—as these are the deep friendships that everyone needs for health and happiness (see number two!)

2. According To The Mayo Clinic Good Friends Are Good For Your Health:

Based on a article published by the Mayo Clinic good friends:

• Increase a sense of belonging and purpose
• Boost happiness and reduce stress
• Improve self-confidence and self-worth
• Help you cope with trauma—things like divorce, serious illness, and loss of a loved one
• Encourage you to change or avoid those unhealthy lifestyle habits, like excessive drinking or not exercising

They also play a very significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with healthy and strong social connections have reduced risk of depression, high blood pressure and unhealthy BMI. Studies have even shown that older adults with meaningful friendships are likely to live longer!

3. According To Some Doctors And Psychologists:

• “Good friends are vitally important to your mental health and to the quality of your life. To live and to love are inseparable from each other. Friendship is an opportunity to love, to learn about yourself, to mature as a human being, and to open up to the full experience of life.” Shirley Vandersteen, Ph. D., R. Psych. Consulting Psychologist (https://glenora.net/the-value-of-friendship/)
• “One of the most important and yet least understood areas of psychology concerns the role of friends in our lives… When it comes to happiness, your friends are the key. Whether you realize it or not, your friends have shaped who you are today. You are even the product of the friends who are no longer your friends.” Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201303/fifteen-reasons-we-need-friends)

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” Anaïs Nin

Thanks for hanging with us today! We hope you’ll stick around and enjoy more of our blog posts. We like to share tips (like this one on lasting curls) and fun new programs we’ve introduced (like our Referral Rewards) and other great stuff.

You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know on Ottalaus, and get a free hair treatment just for signing up!

Article Resources:

https://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/a4028/friendships-aristotle-utility-ethics-lifestyles/

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/friendship/#:~:text=In%20philosophical%20discussions%20of%20friendship,of%20utility%2C%20and%20of%20virtue

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860

https://glenora.net/the-value-of-friendship/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/friends

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/201808/the-power-friendships