Everyone needs friends, no man is an island after all. Today, 11 February is the perfect opportunity to make a new one.
And just in case you’re not convinced to make a friend on National Make a Friend Day, here are some facts about friendship to inspire you.
1. Friends are good for your heart and soul. Studies have found that having friends helps foster good health, longevity and alleviates stress. Friends also help when it comes to healing after accidents, heart attacks or strokes and makes people generally less susceptible to chronic disease.
2. Studies have also found a lack of friends can be as detrimental to your health as being overweight or smoking.
3. The average person will go through about 369 friends in a lifetime but only around 33 will last, six of which being close friends and 27 of which being social friends, workmates or drinking buddies.
4. According to studies, marriages where there is a strong friendship are usually more successful than marriages where a strong friendship is not maintained. In other words, marriages last due to friendship.
5. There is a scientific criteria for friendship. Some definitions emphasize a long-lasting period of sacrifice and shared moments. A true friend is said to prioritize your happiness, never ask you to put your friendship before principles and you tend to miss them when they’re not around.
So smile at a stranger today or go talk to someone you’ve never spoken to before. You never know who is in need of a friend or where your next lasting friendship will come from.
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