People become friends with others for many reasons. For example, some may become friends with someone because they share the same interests, while others get attracted to someone's personality. Many factors go into why people become friends with someone. This blog post will explore some of the reasons why people form friendships.

Reasons why we create friendships with others

Humans are social creatures, and because of this, we need to form connections with others. One of the most common ways we connect with people is by establishing close friendships. We can become friends with anyone, but not just anybody will click and become close friends with us. We may subconsciously look for criteria that can make someone a good friend to us or suddenly click with somebody because we feel good talking with them. Usually, we may not bother to think about why we have become good friends with people, but there are some reasons we can establish friendships with others.

1. Similar interests

One of the most common reasons why we create a close friendship with someone is that they share similar interests with us. Somebody becomes a close friend because they may have the same hobbies and passions as us. They may also hold the same beliefs and values, like political alignment and religious faith. People may also become our friends if they belong to the same demographic as us, such as age, ethnicity, or religion. Similarities can also include working within the same company, attending the same school when you were younger, belonging to the same club or organization, possessing the same gadgets and things as you, etc. In short, when we find a similarity between our preferences and that of others, it is easier to form a relationship with such people because there is something familiar between you, and there is always something to talk about and interact with when you spend time with them.

2. The need to connect with someone

As mentioned above, humans are social creatures, so we need someone to talk to and spend time with so we won't feel lonely. For this reason alone, we can practically become friends with anyone to speak with somebody and eliminate the silence and loneliness we may feel when alone. It is easy to make online friends nowadays through social media and the Internet. However, friendships formed this way may not be as strong as those created through interaction and real-world communication. If you only want to talk with someone, you can practically chat with anyone online or in real life, and that can be a starting point for making friends. Once you become friends, you can go beyond talking and enjoy doing activities together with your friends as a way of socializing. The main point is that most people need somebody to speak and interact with regularly, so having an excellent social network helps satisfy this need.

3. The need for acceptance, recognition, and sharing your joys and difficulties

Aside from the need to socialize and talk with others, we humans also have various conditions that must be satisfied for our mental health. We need acceptance to improve our self-worth and feel that we belong to a particular group and have a place in this world. We also experience joys and sorrows through our achievements and challenges. Having friends satisfies the need to have somebody appreciate us for who we are, congratulate us on our accomplishments, and have somebody listen to us when we need to unload some of our pain while experiencing problems. Sure, we can go through life alone, accomplishing things and tackling issues by ourselves, but having the company of others makes the journey more bearable and enjoyable. These needs are why many of us would like to have good friendships with others.

4. Finding a lifetime partner

One of the reasons people like to make friends is because they want to find that special someone they want to spend their life with for a long time. This person resonates with you the most, accepts you for who you are, is willing to share your difficulties, and truly loves you. You may only be able to find this person if you make healthy friendships with people and find ones that resonate with your various interests and preferences. That special someone may start as your best friend or someone you just recently met, but the thing is that you can only find them if you reach out and make connections with people.

5. Establishing social support for practical needs

This idea may sound unpleasant, but many people become friends with other individuals because they can get something out of them that satisfies a particular need. It may sound like others are only using you, but the truth is that some people you consider friends may treat you like this because they can get something from you. Some people establish a social connection with others to add them to their support system, so they can have somebody to rely on for financial help, career-related opportunities, services they can avail for a lower price or free, or borrow things they may not have themselves. While this kind of relationship doesn't sound nice, like a genuine friendship built upon trust and mutual likeness for each other, it is still a form of company that many people will create, although it may not be as strong and last long as genuine friendships.

6. Admiration and interest

Some people like to become friends with someone because they find some things interesting about them. They may want to get close to someone because they exhibit traits they admire and want to learn something from them. It's like idolizing someone or treating them like a mentor. Some people can be a source of inspiration and admiration for others because of their skills, talents, and inherent charisma, so some may want to get close to them to become friends. People may like to learn how they achieved what they did or can be just curious to find out who they are.

Making friends is essential.

You don't need to find out most of the time why you want to be friends with someone. Often, you suddenly find yourself liking someone while only listening to them talk, or friendships eventually form as you get to know someone better and learn about what they want and believe, which may be similar to yours. However, it can also be good to examine why you may like to have friends, as it can help you determine what you want to get out of the relationship. We all want to get something out of our friends, even if it is nontangible, like getting joy and fulfillment from spending time with them. We can always choose not to treat friendships as something we make because we need some reward. We can become friends with others because we like it, and it makes us feel good; there's no need to overthink it sometimes and just let it happen. It is essential to exert effort and reach out to make friends for your well-being and because you like to do it.