We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships

how a sense of spacious flexibility permeated many interactions.

Do you know your neighbors, and does it matter to you to know your neighbors?

Write their names on a piece of paper. Write down the excuses that have held you back from being closer to them, and what you can do to overcome those obstacles in the future. Then, open up and reach out.

In order for a friendship to avoid becoming a constant source of disappointment and feelings of neglect, you need to be realistic and honest about how many friendships you can actually maintain.

A strong commitment in friendship consists of all the intangible and tangible ways that we are when we say “I’ll be there for you” or “I’ve got your back.”

Talk about thoughts and feelings, and listen deeply while the other person shares about themselves,

you don’t have to try hard to see them, it just happens.

We show our commitment through five core behaviors: openness, caring, trust, dedication, and reciprocity.

if more than four months pass after your initial meeting, then a real friendship is unlikely to ever fully form.

Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John, professors at Harvard Business School, have explored how the power of asking the right questions can pull people closer together and increase depth and intimacy in relationships.