Friendship

“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, then alone in the light.” -Helen Keller

By definition, the word friend means “a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.” But, the science and psychology behind friendship goes much deeper.

Friendship is often compared to alliances that one would have in war. When creating friendships, humans subconsciously choose people who will be there in times of need. Peter Descioli and Robert Kurzban are researchers that have created a hypothesis called “Alliance Hypothesis for Human Friendship.” This hypothesis states that we create friendships based on “cognitive mechanism aimed at creating a ready-made support group for potential conflicts.” Think back to the caveman times: when something threatened you, such as a predator, you needed someone trustworthy to be there. In this day and age, there aren't lions that are going to jump out of the bushes while you’re gathering food, but there are threats. Conflicts are going to arise, and having “allies” makes it easier.

When we see friends, or interact with someone, the brain releases “feel good” chemicals like dopamine and endorphins. Even just thinking of a friend or close family member releases dopamine. Scientists have recently been researching how friendship can affect mental health. People with depression often have less friends, or less quality friendships. In a study published in the Public Library of Science Medicine Journal, the mortality risk of having a weak social circle was even compared with smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Just goes to show how important friends are!