We asked the experts to answer the When Harry Met Sally question, why we have frenemies, plus seven more chum conundrums
1 Do we really need friends?
Yes. People with weak social relationships are 50 per cent more likely to die in a given period than those with strong social ties. Social isolation is as bad for you as drinking or smoking – by some estimates equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day – and worse than inactivity or obesity.
Friendships also contribute to happiness – although quality, not quantity, is what counts. A study of 423 college students found that the quality of friendships had a big impact on how happy people were, whereas the number of friends they had made no difference.
However, the benefits of friendship probably vary from person to person, which would explain why some people say they ...
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