By: Celine Chin
Some people prefer having a small, tight-knit friend circle, while others prefer having large groups of friends. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: having relationships such as friendships can add to the quality of life at any age. We can confide in them, get advice from them, and have fun with them. For many, interactions with others help add meaning to their lives. Friendships may provide more than just social benefits; they may even result in health benefits and positive effects on the brain.
For example, having strong, meaningful friendships with others may play a part in decreased mortality, better body mass index, and blood pressure. Researchers believe that this is because relationships and spending time with close friends can lower the risk of chronic stress. The ability to build relationships with others may also have an evolutionary purpose: working together with others has allowed us and our ancestors to better survive in the world. The friendships we have with others can also help us cope with rough times in life, like trauma, illness, or rejection.
In contrast, those who are isolated oftentimes have higher rates of depression, shorter lifespans, and are sick more frequently. A study has shown that loneliness can increase our chances of dementia, which negatively impacts one’s cognitive abilities such as memory, language, and problem solving. Being excluded socially can also often cause feelings similar to those from physical pain.
Additionally, many processes and functions are occurring in the brain when we form relationships with others. One example is that our brain allows us to empathize with others, which can let us respond to others’ experiences appropriately. Part of this process is the “theory of mind,” which lets us put ourselves in other people’s shoes so we can better understand their feelings and thoughts. We often don’t realize how important the “theory of mind” is in our lives; we unconsciously use it when we work with others like our family, friends, and teachers. A quality of healthy relationships is when both sides are able to recognize that they don’t always share the same feelings and thinking patterns. However, “theory of mind” doesn’t come naturally when we’re born, and only starts to develop when a person reaches four or five years old. Once it develops, we can better catch onto social etiquette and norms, which may assist us in our interactions with others.
Scans have also shown that our brains may act differently when responding to friends versus strangers. Our brain would act similarly to a friend’s brain and respond strongly trying to empathize with them, but not as similarly when attempting to understand the mind of somebody we aren’t familiar with. Brain scans have also demonstrated that spending time with loved ones can result in more activity in the reward circuits in our brains. After spending so much time with somebody, they often become part of us in the sense that we end up copying some of the phrases they say and act the way they do.
In conclusion, while there hasn’t been a whole lot of research done on all of the effects that friendships can have on our lives, many can agree that they can be extremely beneficial and bring a lot of good to daily life.
Questions
Q: What can social isolation result in?
A: Somebody that is socially isolated may more frequently develop sicknesses and have a higher chance of having a shorter life span as well as depression. Loneliness can also increase the chances of developing dementia, which negatively impacts one’s cognitive abilities like language and solving problems. Somebody who is excluded socially may also experience feelings similar to actual physical pain.
Q: What are the benefits of having friendships and relationships with others?
A: Friendships may be connected to decreased mortality, better body mass index and blood pressure as spending time with loved ones can lower the chances of chronic stress. Spending time with friends can also increase activity in the brain’s reward circuits which allow us to feel good. In addition, friendships with others can help us cope with life’s reality and situations such as trauma, illness, or rejection. They may also have an evolutionary purpose, such as that working well with other people has allowed us and previous generations to better survive.
Sources
Websites:
Images:
No changes were made, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Practicing-Empathy.jpg, License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en