Friendship
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6301c74c-92da-46e9-aa1f-6fae445dbf90/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Emotions
idea
For young people, emotions are highly contagious social viruses
Like viruses, our internal mental states are socially transmissible, and it’s easier to catch happiness than depression
by Jack Andrews
![Two women with braided hair sitting on a park bench, smiling and engaging in conversation. One faces the camera, while the other is seen from behind.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/5863f16d-7152-46c3-9c17-aed6375eb8bb/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Friendship
idea
For Beauvoir, it’s friendship that lets us become truly ourselves
For Simone de Beauvoir, friendship, even more than love, was the means to overcome the tragedy of our radical separation
by Skye C Cleary
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/4ad92448-3c04-494b-9851-c4ae3f271616/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Friendship
guide
How to make friends as an adult
Friendships give us so much. Be bold, take the initiative, and you’ll be surprised how many people are pleased to connect
by Marisa G Franco
![Three girls dancing in a bedroom; one on a bed in blue outfit, others on the floor wearing casual clothes. The room has pink curtains and a blue lamp.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/f34e1348-ca77-4e90-9669-363690e3d1c3/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Life stages
film
A nostalgic ode to being 15, fearless and in love with the world
Directed by Celia Willis
![Close-up of a person with a beard wearing a black shirt with white, stitched letters spelling out “NO VAX”.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7d6957a2-be0c-4495-a0cd-9a51e56ba69c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Communication and language
idea
Why you shouldn’t shrink from challenging your loved ones’ views
Care is warranted when arguing with friends and family. But you can be respectful and still point out the flaws in their views
by Matt Ferkany
![Three older men in cheerful mood are inside a bar or pub with painted red walls](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/506ba405-720e-436c-a7ca-30ede81b2569/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Friendship
idea
Is it better to have friends who are like you or different from you?
Studies of longterm friends offer surprising insights as to whether friends who are more or less alike tend to endure
by Christian Jarrett
![Painting of two women at a table; one looks down and the other glances sideways, holding a small red object.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8cd97b18-9d74-4dbb-a164-f1fa22ecfebf/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Friendship
guide
How to support a struggling friend
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say or do. Use these five strategies for providing effective emotional support
by Elise Kalokerinos
![Two puppets in silver spacesuits lie against a starry backdrop, surrounded by makeup items. One puppet has short black hair, the other has bright green hair.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/d658b244-400a-4b11-a1a3-13f4a40da999/blush_still5.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Friendship
film
Fatu treks into the glamorous unknown during his first outing in makeup
Directed by Iiti Yli-Harja
![Market stalls with fruits, two people in green vests, one man with a mask and grocery bag, advertisement board, and cherry blossom trees.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/5a373aff-ce5b-4411-a65e-49556d623225/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Friendship
idea
Empathic friends can provide the right kind of peer pressure
Research on empathy development in adolescents suggests an under-appreciated potential for positive peer influence
by Marta Miklikowska & Lauree Tilton-Weaver
![Marble relief sculpture depicting a group of bearded men and one woman in ancient Roman attire, with detailed facial expressions and gestures.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2029c34c-b295-443f-9f46-106d0b9dfbde/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Friendship
idea
Horace’s lyrics of friendship offer hope to our troubled world
In the poetics of Horace, friendship is the best way to seek the good life even in the midst of crises beyond our control
by Stephanie McCarter
![Two people play chess outdoors near a colourful graffiti wall and blooming tree; industrial buildings and stormy sky in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7e173667-4349-482f-978c-4fe28bc06725/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Neurodiversity
guide
How to be a good friend to an Autistic person
Autistic and non-autistic people see the social world differently. But openness and empathy can foster a valuable bond
by Abby Sesterka & Erin Bulluss