Why You Need Friendship And Love

Updated October 6, 2022 by BetterHelp Editorial Team

To say that we live in a chaotic and eventful world would be the understatement
of the millennium. Still, in spite of the darkness and insanity which seemingly
surrounds us, there is still light and goodness which exists in various places.
Having brightness to balance out darkness, and good times to balance out the
bad is what ultimately makes life worth living. This is why you need friendship and
love in your life. Healthy, loving connections with other human beings are
powerful and can enrich your life in countless ways.

What Is Friendship?
Friendship is a mutually positive, respectful, and trust-based connection with
another human being. When two people are truly friends with one another, they
care about one another's feelings, enjoy spending time together, and generally
similar interests and outlooks on matters. They might also a friendship
symbol together, such as a friendship bracelet or special flower. Friends can also
be unique and have differences of opinion, but in most cases, friends are more
alike than they are different, even if this likeness is not readily apparent.

It goes without saying that friendship is one of the most major components of
interpersonal relationships. When you have a strong friendship with someone,
you accept one another for who you are. Part of this involves not trying to change
a person or mold them into something they are not. The best friends are the ones
who cherish and appreciate a person's quirks, instead of resenting them or
attempting to alter their personality.

Having the right friendships in life broadens horizons and allows people to learn,
grow, and see things from a perspective other than their own. Many people have
had certain experiences and exposure due to the friendships which they have
maintained throughout their lives. Friends help you believe in yourself, stay
positive during tough times, and remember all that you are capable of achieving.

What Is Love?
Love is defined as "one of the most profound emotions known to human beings."
Many people who have experienced love with another person have found love to
be life-changing and monumental. Individuals in love often enjoy spending time
with their significant other, experiencing intimacy, and being part of a union.
Countless songs, stories, plays, and songs have been written about love and the
power that love can have on a person's life.

There is no denying that like friendship, love is an amazing, powerful, and life-
changing feeling. However, it's important for people to understand love, what it's
all about, and what it is not. Ultimately, love boils down to caring for someone and
wanting what is best for them. Love is very different than lust, infatuation, or
obsession. When you love someone, you want them to be happy, safe, and at
peace. This is why many people make sacrifices for the ones they love, or go to
extraordinary lengths when they believe that person may be in danger or
otherwise facing a threat.

Love is not controlled. Love is also not selfish or manipulative. When a person
loves someone, they do not intentionally hurt, embarrass, or humiliate them. Far
too often, certain individuals are told that if they truly love someone, they should
put up with mistreatment from that person. This kind of rhetoric is so very
dangerous, and has led people down a path of destruction. The truth of the
matter is that if someone truly loves you, they will never subject you to
mistreatment. Abuse is not love. Ill-treatment is not love.

How Can Friendship and Love Change Your Life?

While the merits of friendship and love are very well-documented, many people
aren't aware of the associated health benefits. It turns out that having the right
individuals in your life makes a difference in more than one area. In a world that
can be so crazy and chaotic, having the benefits of friendship and love can quite
literally change your life.
Improved Physical Health
When you are around people who love and care for you (and vice versa), a
hormone known as oxytocin is released. Oxytocin has been linked to a reduction
in blood pressure, energy boosts, and the lessening of negative emotions, such
as fear, stress, and anxiety. As you can imagine, experiencing the preceding
negative feelings regularly can impede your health over time, not just on a
physical level, but also emotionally and psychologically. Oxytocin also improves
peoples' abilities to adapt socially and experience general wellness in everyday
life.

Lesser Likelihood of Depression

The existence of love and friendship in an individual's life has also been linked to
a reduced likelihood of experiencing depression. This is because when we have
positive interpersonal relationships in our lives, we tend to feel happier, have
more experiences, and enjoy a higher quality of life than our friendless, lonelier
counterparts.

Support During Challenging Times

Everyone will experience challenging times at one point or another. This is simply
an inevitable part of life. Of course, challenges do not always manifest
themselves in the same manner for each person. Sometimes, people experience
rough times in the form of being laid off from work, losing a loved one, or
experiencing a natural disaster. However, having friendship and love in
life ensures that you have a support system to fall back on when you are not at
your best.

When facing challenging times, it's also important to realize that being willing to
accept help from those who care about us matters. So often, people are led to
believe that they have to do everything on their own; this isn't always the best
course of action, though. There is nothing wrong with being independent and self-
sufficient. Still, even in having those traits, allowing the people who love you to be
supportive and helpful serves as a healthy balance to independence and self-
sufficiency.

How to Find Friendship and Love

Depending on who you are, where you live, and what your lifestyle is, you may or
may not have a hard time developing friendships and finding love. If this sounds
like you, then the following tips and advice can certainly prove to be of value in
your life.

Engage in Recreational Activities You Enjoy

Believe it or not, partaking in recreational activities which you enjoy can help
allow you to attract friendships and love into your life. One of the best ways to
make this happen is to put yourself in places where you can come into contact
with like-minded people. Taking a recreational class can allow you to not only do
something which you love for fun, but also meet others with similar interests. This
sets the foundations for friendships and amazing, loving relationships to form.

Don't Be Afraid to Be Yourself

So often in life, people believe they have to adopt a certain persona or change
who they are to find friendship and love in life. For as common as this
misconception may be, it's certainly not accurate. True friendship and love should
never cause you to change who you are or become something you're not.
Sometimes, it can be tempting to want to fit in with the "in crowd," but authenticity
always wins in the end. Having the right people in your life, who are best for you,
can only happen when you're being yourself and not trying to change who you
are to satisfy others.

Have Standards
Believe it or not, the standards which you have in life can determine whether you
find real friendship and love in life. Your standards set the tone for everything in
life. Standards determine the treatment you accept, whether or not you are willing
to put up with manipulation, and so much more. Above all, it's important to
understand what friendship and love are all about. Friendly and loving
relationships should serve as positive and uplifting contributions in your life. If you
feel as though friendship and love are bringing you down, then this is a sign that
you are not surrounding yourself with the right people.