I turned 37 and looked at my phone contacts and realized I had 247 numbers but couldn't name a single person I'd call if I got genuinely bad news - and that's when I understood that losing friends in your 30s isn't about distance, it's about finally admitting proximity was doing all the work - Silicon Canals

"The uncomfortable truth that psychology identified over seventy years ago is that friendships were never really about you. The single strongest predictor of who became friends with whom was physical proximity, not shared values or compatible personalities."

"In 1950, psychologists conducted studies at MIT and found that students living next door to each other were far more likely to become friends than those living a few doors apart, with sixty-five percent of reported friendships formed between people living within five doors of one another."

Many adults in their thirties find themselves with numerous acquaintances but few close friends. This phenomenon stems from the nature of friendships, which are often based on physical proximity rather than shared values or interests. Historical studies, such as the Westgate studies, reveal that individuals living closer together are more likely to form friendships. As people age, the challenge becomes maintaining deep connections amidst a growing network of superficial relationships, leading to feelings of isolation despite social circles.

Read at Silicon Canals