Do you believe that family ties are the strongest? That family is more important than friends? Think about it again...
Researchers at Michigan state University have found that friends can make you happier and even healthier. William Chopik, associate Professor of psychology and author of the study, says: "Friends are an informed choice. Family relationships can be too serious, negative and monotonous."
Experts conducted two surveys. The first was attended by about 300 thousand people aged from 15 to 99 years from more than 90 countries. Its results showed that people who valued friendship more highly were healthier and happier (according to their own estimates), especially as they grew older. The second survey included nearly 7,500 Americans over the age of 50. Respondents were asked about the quality of friendships - how friends understand them and how often they fail. In addition, respondents were asked to answer whether they agree with the statement "my life is close to ideal." Over the next six years they were monitored for the presence of diseases such as diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease.
It turned out that those people who reported that friendship brought them trouble, later more sick. Those who were supported by friends showed higher health indicators. At the same time, the majority of respondents claimed that their friends support them. But the impact of family relations on the health and happiness of specific people was much less. Husbands, wives and children also contributed to these indicators, but not as friends.
William chopick does not call to ignore family values, just wants to emphasize the importance of friendship: "with friends you have a better chance to do any activity-they help you to realize yourself. You can also share a lot with them, and they will not judge you as strictly as the family. Friendship involves a higher level of intimacy, more honesty."
Analysis of 148 surveys of 308,000 people showed that people with strong social relations increased their chances of survival during the seven years of the study by 50%. According to the authors, this figure can be compared to how the health of a person who quit Smoking improves.
According to another study, with age, people are increasingly noting that they spend time with friends better than with family.
However, there is no denying that friendship often ends after people marry or have children. William chopick notes that after such events in the life of the number of close friends can be reduced from five to six to two or three. According to him, work on friendly relations during life brings unconditional fruits — it is an increase in self-esteem and help in the fight against stress. We tend naturally to terminate a friendship that depresses us or does not seem sincere. For a good friendship, trust and the ability to listen are important-as, indeed, for family relations.
That’s quite an improvement!
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