Friendship

Four women outside wearing summer outfits with skyscrapers and a construction crane in the background; one woman is shown smoking.
FRIENDSHIP

Is it wrong to be good friends with a bad person?

Many think the answer is obvious: we ought to cut immoral people out of our lives. But that isn’t necessarily the best option

by Yiran Hua

Medieval manuscript illustration of three figures talking: a man, a knight with a shield and a shovel-bearer, set in an ornate border.
FRIENDSHIP

How the nature of friendship has changed through the centuries

The metamorphosis of this special bond from feudal to modern times reveals much about the aspirations of different societies

by Bénedicte Sère

Three people chatting at a rustic bar in a pub, with a brick interior and various decorations.
FRIENDSHIP

Our relationships, in five dimensions

Scientists offer a new way to compare and contrast social ties – like a ‘Big Five’ for relationships

by Matt Huston

A traffic light showing a green transgender symbol in front of a historic city square with statues and buildings.
COMPASSION AND EMPATHY

To see your home city anew, try this

See a city through a visitor’s eyes to capture feelings you’ve lost, or never had – it’s the vicarious construal effect

by Elena Seymenliyska

Silhouette of a person next to a glowing orange lamp in a dark room.
FRIENDSHIP

Discarded

The end of a friendship cracked me apart, triggering hidden memories – and helping me heal old wounds

by Antonia Malchik

Photo of a man holding a microphone and equipment standing on a walkway with blurred people passing by in the foreground.
LONELINESS

Lonely in London, a filmmaker sets out to make a new friend

A film by Hugh Clegg

Photo of four men embracing on a beach at night with colourful lights blurred in the background.
GENDER

Too many men lack close friendships. What’s holding them back?

Some masculine norms are a straightjacket, depriving men of the connections they need. It takes bravery to leave them behind

by Angelica Puzio Ferrara

Photo of a red taxi with passengers in an urban setting, a sign saying “Life is War” visible in the background.
FREEDOM AND CHOICE

Relationships are important, but so is feeling free to end them

Comparing ‘relational mobility’ and people’s average happiness across different cultures reveals some intriguing patterns

by Thomas Talhelm & Liuqing Wei

Photo of two people sitting at a table by a window, talking and drinking coffee, with a rainy view outside.
WORRY AND RUMINATION

Rehashing your problems with friends can turn into a bad habit

Although ‘co-rumination’ bolsters relationships in some ways, it also distracts from other, better coping methods

by Shayla Love

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.
FRIENDSHIP

Fatu treks into the glamorous unknown during his first outing in makeup

Directed by Iiti Yli-Harja

Photo of three older men in a pub, smiling and wearing caps. The background has pub mirrors and a red wall.
FRIENDSHIP

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

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.
LIFE STAGES

A nostalgic ode to being 15, fearless and in love with the world

Directed by Celia Willis

Photo of a cantina with people sitting at colourful tables outside under a canopy.
SOCIAL ANXIETY

How to overcome social anxiety

When even everyday social situations make you feel self-conscious and afraid, it’s time to try these well-tested techniques

by Fallon Goodman

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.
FRIENDSHIP

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

Photo of an outdoor market with fruit stalls, a masked man carrying bags and two people in green vests walking past.
FRIENDSHIP

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

Photo of eight varied stone doughnut-shaped artefacts on a blue background with a 5 cm scale bar.
RITUALS AND CELEBRATIONS

Far-flung ancient communities forged bonds through broken rings

What can the fragments of Neolithic slate rings found in Finland tell us about social relationships 6,000 years ago?

by Marja Ahola, Elisabeth Holmqvist & Petro Pesonen