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0Do we really need friends to be happy?
Throughout our lives, we meet new people at school, at work, or through our hobbies, some remain acquaintances, while others become close friends. Now, maintaining those relationships isn't always easy, but evidence has shown just how important having friends can be, given that loneliness can affect both our happiness and health.
What role do friends play in our happiness levels then?
One important study to consider is the Harvard study of adult development, it was launched nearly a century ago in 1938, and it's one of the world's longest running studies of adult life. Research has followed 100s of people to investigate what contributes to a happy and healthy life.
One of their clearest findings was that the quality of our relationships matters. People who were more satisfied with their relationships at 50 tended to be healthier at 80. Relationship satisfaction was even a better predictor of later physical health than their cholesterol levels in middle age
Of course, that doesn't mean friendship guarantees happiness or good health, and the original participants represented a relatively narrow section of American society. Nevertheless, the central finding is supported by wider international research.
The wild health organization says social connection can help protect our health, persistent loneliness and isolation by contrast, or associated with depression, anxiety, heart disease, cognitive decline, and premature death.
Does that mean we need lots of friends?
Not necessarily. There's no magic number. Some people enjoy a large social circle, while others prefer a few close relationships. What matters is whether we feel supported and have someone we can rely on. That person could be a friend, relative, partner, or another trusted figure.
Casual connections can help too. Psychologists use the term weak ties to describe acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors, and other people we see occasionally. Now, despite the term weak, research suggests these interactions actually make a strong contribution to happiness and belonging. A brief chat with a colleague or somebody in a local shop may seem insignificant, but it can absolutely help us feel connected to the community.
It's also important to distinguish between being alone and feeling lonely. Some people actually enjoy solitude, and on the other hand, it's totally possible to feel lonely, even when surrounded by people. You could say that loneliness is the gap between the connection we have and the connection we want.
词汇表
acquaintance [əˈkweɪntəns] n. 熟人，泛泛之交
predictor [prɪˈdɪktə(r)] n. 预测指标，预示物
cholesterol levels [kəˈlestərɒl ˈlev(ə)lz] 胆固醇水平
premature death [ˈpremətʃə(r)] 过早死亡，早逝
magic number 神奇数字，理想数字
social circle 社交圈
casual connections 泛泛之交，非正式联系
weak ties 弱联系（指熟人、同事等不亲密的人际关系）
solitude [ˈsɒlɪtjuːd] n. 独处，独居
gap [ɡæp] n. 差距，缺口，间隔
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