The saddest part of having no close friends isn't the loneliness - it's realizing that most of your relationships were held together by proximity, routine, or obligation, and when those structures fell away there was nothing underneath - Silicon Canals

"When I look back at the friendships I thought were solid, most of them were held together by something other than the friendship itself. University friendships were held together by being in the same place at the same time, going to the same lectures, drinking in the same bars. Corporate friendships were held together by sharing an office, eating lunch at the same time, complaining about the same managers."

"The moment the circumstances change, you find out very quickly what was underneath. For a lot of my friendships, the answer was: not much."

"I left corporate in my mid-thirties to start my own consultancy. And within about six months, most of those work friendships had quietly evaporated. Nobody fell out. Nobody said anything hurtful. People just stopped being in front of me every day, and without that proximity doing the heavy lifting, there wasn't enough there to keep things going."

Friendships often appear solid but are frequently based on shared circumstances rather than true connection. Many relationships formed in university or corporate settings depend on proximity and shared experiences. When circumstances change, such as leaving a job, these friendships can quickly fade, revealing a lack of depth. The realization that many connections were not built on a strong foundation can be uncomfortable, highlighting the importance of nurturing genuine relationships that endure beyond situational factors.

Read at Silicon Canals