The issue with having a large number of friends is that it lacks one critical aspect.
Balance.
Finding time to engage with your friends might be difficult with everyone’s hectic schedules. If you’re more concerned with pleasing them or rearranging your agenda to accommodate them, your friendship may become emotionally or physically draining, and you end up letting yourself go.
Creating a life separate from your friends is an important part of personal growth. When you have very few acquaintances, it will be easier for you to define your priorities.
As a result, you’ll focus more on your own development. Those who love you will respect your boundaries when it comes to spending time alone.
How many friends is too many?
Can a person even have too many friends?
After all, having friends is inherently good, for countless reasons, many of which are obvious.
Another possibility is that too much social activity becomes a stress factor.
This can lead to negative outcomes, such as social over-commitment, emotional and cognitive exhaustion, fatigue or feelings of guilt when social relationships are not properly nurtured because of limited time.
And people with lots of friends may not be able to fulfill those obligations — especially people with too many friends.
In other words, “relationship quality “ matters as much, if not more, than merely the number of friends you have.
Having lots of friends’ means your precious social resources become diluted, making you less able to be a good friend.
And other people take that into account, consciously or unconsciously, when deciding whether to befriend you.
They don’t want to spend their valuable social capital on someone who’s unlikely to pay it back.
Does it feel like you’re always giving—and one of your friends is always taking?
Or does it seem like your friend never makes time for you—but always expects you to be there for her?
Your pal might be playing you for a sucker.
How did you fall victim to a one-sided friendship?
People who have a poor self-image and suffer from insecurity get a false sense of power and control in their lives by taking advantage of their friends and family.
Healthy friendships have established boundaries.
Two people who can take care of their own needs without relying heavily upon others.
If the focus in your friendship is your friend and their exclusive wants and needs rather than your own, you need to start working on your own self-worth and confidence to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation in the future.
Good friends understand you have an independent life separate from them.
If you are unable to set boundaries or you feel you are sacrificing who you are – your values and principles – then it may be time to reconsider having this friend in your life.
Sometimes, we accept emotional abuse from a friend in a way we never would a romantic partner.
A damaging friend will criticize you but not in a constructive way, they find ways to undermine your character through passive-aggressive and hurtful comments.
Long-term this will chip away at your self-esteem and be detrimental to your wellbeing.
Sometimes a friend might constantly compare themselves to you, and their self-worth is tied up in how much they are winning in life.
They might compete with you, or even your partner or family members, and they take any opportunity to prove they are superior.
An unhealthy friend is someone who is never supportive and is maliciously competitive, or uses your success to get ahead themselves.
Toxic individuals can also often lie to make themselves look better than others. This borders on narcissism. It is important to understand the warning signs and recognize when healthy competition crosses the line.
Friends help make life more meaningful. They provide social and emotional support, ease feelings of loneliness, and help you feel happier and more satisfied with life.
Maintaining social connections can even lengthen your lifespan and lower your risk of mental and physical health concerns, including depression and high blood pressure.
Some friendships might not have such a positive effect. Others might be downright toxic.
Toxic friendships can take different forms, but they generally drain you mentally and have a way of bringing you down instead of building you up.
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