Many studies prove it: the quality of our personal relationships has a positive effect about our well-being and even about our longevity. The researcher Hamish Foster and his team, from the University of Glasgow, recently published a new analysis, based on the experience of more than 450,000 people who have confirmed it.
Another study that confirms this is done by Harvard, after 85 years of analysis. He makes it clear that positive relationships, with family and friends, are an important part of happiness. In fact, researchers highlight friendship as one of the seven most important habits for being happy and fit.
But what kind of friendship exists? Which is the most important? Harvard University professor Arthur Brooks, who teaches a course on happiness management, believes that we need three types to feel true happiness in life.
Remember, as an introduction, that “happiness is a basic ability for those who want to manage their lives, on a personal and professional level” and defends the model proposed by Aristotle. In his article titled Best friends can do nothing for you, which he shared in the happiness course at Harvard, emphasized:
- beneficial friendship: “Think about your relationships with the people you work with or do business with. These relationships tend to be transactional in nature,” he explains. They are also known as ‘public services’.
- Friendship is based on happiness: “This type of relationship is based on mutual admiration because each person can have joy and happiness. It arises when one sees their friend as fun, interesting and a source of happiness,” added the expert.
- The ‘perfect’ friendship: “By Aristotle’s standards, the perfect friendship is that between people who feel a mutual love for something that not only unites them, but raises their character to virtue. to improve those another person’s condition,” the researcher concluded.
Despite their advantages and disadvantages (not all of them are as nice or easy to maintain), they are necessary for our social balance. While we need meaningful and enjoyable friendships, “we cannot afford to jeopardize these connections through confrontation, difficult conversations, or intimacy,” explains Arthur Brooks. Perfections are the key to success, others have finished. Their big point in favor is that they are real and They are not based on hidden interests.
Sanitas experts also remember that developing social relationships “helps to avoid some negative aspects associated with aging such as loneliness or isolation. It is useful to create a circle of friends that help prevent dependence, encourage personal autonomy and guide active and healthy aging”.
