For most phases of my life, I find myself in a friend group of about three or four people. It's great to know a wide variety of people and have many acquaintances, but for these seven reasons, it's best to be able to count your close friends on just one hand.
1. Your thoughts are acknowledged.
We've all had that uncomfortable moment in which we're sitting with a large group of people and no matter how many times we attempt to speak, someone cuts us off. Everyone is jumping in at every given second; it feels impossible to get a word in edgewise. With only a few friends, everyone is free to speak their mind.
2. Your opinions matter.
If you're with a large group and do not fall in the majority of the group vote, you will not get your way. However, with a small group, it's easier to reach an agreement that satisfies everyone.
3. Group chats are more personal.
Each time you type out a text, another person sends a new message, and suddenly what you wrote has become irrelevant. In large group chats, people have conversations within conversations, your phone blows up every minute, and it becomes too overwhelming to respond.
4. Your secrets remain secrets.
If you share a secret with all eight of your close friends, there is no guarantee that one of them will not slip it out. Subsequently, you are forced to interrogate each friend to find out who could was the one who betrayed you.
5. You always know who to contact to share news.
You don't have to contact a laundry list of people to talk about your first date with, you only have to call a select few. Additionally, it gets tiring explaining a story repeatedly just so all of your friends could be caught up in your life.
6. You can be a better friend.
It's easier to be fully invested in the lives of a few friends rather than struggling to remember the details of 10 people's lives. I check in with my friends to ask how their doctor's appointment went, how their families are and other parts of their lives that I would not be able to keep track of if I had more friends than necessary.
7. Your memories are more intimate.
In ten years, you will look back at your best and funniest moments and recall a select few faces because you will most likely only remember the people who were important to you.
On the outside, it may appear fun to be in a large friend group. However, at the end of the day, it's easier to form bonds with fewer people, and you will develop more meaningful, lifelong friendships with a small group of friends who know you better than you know yourself.
