Have you ever felt yourself slipping away around a large group of people that are just talking nonsense? How about holding back an eye-roll at the sheer ridiculousness of the ongoing conversation? If you have said “yes” to either question, then you are either an extreme introvert or are surrounded by a group of surface-level friends.
Why is that one-on-one time is overrated these days? How is it that society has convinced us that the more friends you have, the happier you will be?
I blame the hit TV sitcom “Friends.” It’s the ideal group situation; six attractive young adults in the 1990's throwing parties, going on adventures and living out their dreams alongside each other. No wonder people go to college thinking, “Alright, I can’t wait to meet my new five closest friends!”
If you can find a close-knit group like that (with one of them potentially being your sibling) and stick with them, then by all means, share your secret. Personally, I find it difficult to establish intimate connections in a large group. Especially with these so-called “surface level friends."
Honestly, I’d rather have just one person. Somebody who I can trust and won’t judge me for saying stupid things (or loves me for it anyway). A friend who can name all of my family members and considers themselves one of them. A person that is a significant part of my life.
I once heard a wise professor describe a true friendship as “two persons that meet as equals.” They see eye-to-eye and exemplify that give-and-take relationship that is so rare to find. In my opinion, having that one person as your equal outshines a large group of surface-level friends any day.
