The Impact Of Friendship On People s Lives - 1336 Words

The Impact of Friendship Close social relationships have a dramatic affect on people’s lives. Specifically, friendships are amazing in that each one is different yet all friendships share several qualities. Although friendships are a very positive thing to have, they also come with costs. Friendships have always intrigued me, so I found it fascinating to learn about the impact they have and it gave me a new perspective to look at my own friendships. Friendships can be very different from one another but they all have recognizable characteristics. Floyd (2011) defines these characteristics of friendship as voluntary, between peers, governed by rules, differ by sex, and have a lifespan. People become friends with one another out of choice,†¦show more content†¦These rules can vary from behavior to the feelings one has about their friend. Criticizing a friend behind their back or being dishonest are widely looked down upon. These rules are unchanged by differences in sex but other aspects of the friendship differ. Floyd (2011) states that same-sex friends value different aspects of their friendships. Friendships between women tend to emphasize conversation and emotional expressiveness. Men’s friendships place more of a focus on shared activities and interests according to Floyd (2011). I personally find this quite accurate to examples in my life. On the other hand, opposite-sex friendships are valuable as they allow both men and women to see things from each other’s perspectives. Floyd (2011) says that opposite-sex friendships allow men to be emotionally expressive and women to partake in shared activities. Many reasons can prevent an opposite-sex friendship from becoming a romantic relationship. A lack of physical attraction, wanting to protect an existing friendship, and fear of rejection, are a few of the reasons Floyd (2011) lists. The final characteristic is that friendships have lifespans. An unfortunate reality, but as Floyd (2011) puts it, most friendships are initiated, maintained, and eventually many of them end. Nagging, criticizing, abuse of alcohol and drugs, and hostile behaviors can lead to declining friendships, which