Find out why you only need 7 friends in your life!

Are you the introverted type, with only a few close friends in your circle or, on the contrary, do you have a rather rich address book? Whatever your case, there is actually a theory, called “The 7 Friends Theory” estimating that we only need seven friends in life.

Each friend has a specific role

According to this theory, popularized by the social network TikTok, a single friend cannot fulfill all the roles. So we need several friends for this. And it seems that seven is the ideal number. Among these seven friends are the following profiles:

• The one we have known since childhood : the relationship with this person is comfortable, because he or she has known you forever;
• The one who can make you laugh in any situation : he’s the friend you want to be with to have a good time, for sure;
• The one you don’t talk to often, but nothing changes between you : with this person, the relationship is always fluid, even if you live 10,000 km from each other and you rarely speak to each other;
• The one to whom you can tell everything : he is the friend who will take your secrets to the grave and never use them against you;
• The one who is like a brother or sister : it’s the close friend who knows your family, who can drop by unannounced and who will always be welcome;
• The one you couldn’t imagine not being friends with : this is the friend with whom you have a daily relationship and who knows your life down to the smallest details;
• The one who knows all your relationship problems, without (really) wanting to : this friend is surely precious to you, because he will always know how to listen to you without judging you.

However, some people do not imagine multiplying friendships and in this case, a single friend can fulfill these different functions. What is important to remember here is the quality of the friendly relationships that we maintain, more than their quantity.

But let’s not forget that human beings are profoundly social beings, who cannot exist without others. Maintaining strong social relationships is therefore beneficial for health, especially in old age. “If you’re having trouble making friends as an adult, you’re not alone.” explains Amanda Sacks to the Very Well Mind website.

To expand your circle of friends, she recommends trying new activities or taking up a hobby you enjoy: yoga, dancing, music, fashion, knitting…You will attract people who are passionate about the same thing. Having common interests is a fantastic start to meeting new friends” she adds.

And again, if you don’t reach the seven friends as the theory would have it, that’s okay.”Rather than focusing on how many friends you have or the exact categories they fit into, recognize that you can define what a meaningful relationship looks like to you.” she concluded.

Slideshow: Friendship: 9 signs of a healthy relationship