It isn’t just romantic partners and close family members are important. Our relationships with friends are some of the most important bonds in our lives. For some people, friendships are their number one relationships, especially if they are single or not close to their blood relatives, making these bonds even more critical. However, as time passes, the way we relate to and seek out friends shifts. You may experience just a few or all of the following changes when it comes to your pals.
1. Your Expectations Get Higher
As you mature, you may begin to believe that friends are more than just people to gossip and go out with. You could start to expect more from the friendships in your life. Whereas when you were young you could tolerate some degree of pettiness or even betrayal, things are different now. You likely won’t have the patience for those things as you get older, and you may believe that in order to be a good friend, a person needs to be trustworthy, kind and honest.
2. You Seek Out Different Types of People
When we’re young, we look for friends we can have fun with, whether it’s hitting the town on a Friday night or doing a fun activity together. As the years go by, however, you might look for friends that you can have a deep conversation with or for people you know will be there when life gets tough. You may already have friendships like these. Do you hold these people in higher regard than your drinking buddies? If you don’t, you may start looking for them.
3. Your Time Becomes More Precious
Once you start a family or get a top position in your career, you have less time to be social. Because of this, your beliefs about who you want to hang out with, and what you’d like to do together, will inevitably change. Before you had big responsibilities, you had all the time in the world to hang out with whoever and do anything you pleased. Now, your extracurricular hours are a precious commodity. What you choose to do with your time reflects your changing attitude toward friendships.
4. Your Close Friends Become Family
As you start spending time with fewer friends, and as life gets busier, these pals may become more than friends—you’ll start to regard them as family. This shifting belief deepens your bonds and solidifies the friends who will remain in your life for the long haul, through thick and thin.
5. Your Not-So-Close Friends Become Acquaintances
On the flipside, the people you don’t see as much as you used to become acquaintances or social media pals. These include the people who live far away or the people who are at a different place in their lives. Perhaps you’re married with kids and they aren’t, or vice versa. Those who have grown to adopt different worldviews (or hobbies) tend to fall by the wayside. Even if these people were once close to you, you may find that you only “see” them on your Facebook newsfeed or talk with them every so often via text message.
Not all friendship are meant to last and that’s okay. However, if you’ve noticed a change in your friendship and you’re wondering why, you need to speak to a love psychic. They’re always available to take a look at any of your relationships during a psychic love reading.
The idea that close friends become like family is quite compelling. Shared experiences and mutual support can indeed create familial bonds over time.
It makes sense that not-so-close friends become acquaintances as life progresses. Relationships naturally evolve, and not all friendships are meant to last forever.
I agree with the points made about how your time becomes more precious. Once you have significant responsibilities, you’re more selective about who you want to spend time with.
Indeed. The shift in priorities makes sense as your life circumstances change. It’s a natural progression.
Very true. Your limited time resources force you to prioritize quality over quantity in friendships.
It’s interesting how the dynamics of friendships shift, transforming close friends into family-like figures as time goes on.
The article raises some interesting points about the evolution of friendships over time. It’s true that our expectations and the type of people we seek out can change as we mature.
The observation about seeking out different types of people as we age is accurate. The value we place on deep conversations and emotional support grows with time.
Absolutely. The depth of a friendship can become far more important than shared activities or superficial connections.
As our needs change, so do our criteria for friendship. This natural evolution helps us find more meaningful connections.
The idea that friendships can be influenced by different life stages is quite insightful. It explains why some relationships fade over time.
Yes, shared life experiences or lack thereof can significantly impact the depth and longevity of friendships.
I appreciate the article’s balanced view that not all friendships are meant to last, and that’s okay. It’s a natural part of life.