According to a 2024 study published in the journal Ageing & Society, once you have four close friends, adding more did not have a “substantial beneficial effect” on reducing loneliness, depression, stress, or anxiety.4 Though this study was conducted exclusively on older adults, it illustrates how a few close friends are better than many

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Kevin Kwok has a schtick about how friend groups underinvest in themselves. A group of people with high mutual trust, shared interests, and low coordination costs have already solved for many of the issues that otherwise prevent humans from accomplishing great things.