Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness

vulnerability rises from a place of safety and strength.

READ THE SIGNS AND LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE.

Frientimacy = positivity + consistency + vulnerability

FOLLOW-UP: Sometimes the best way to deepen a friendship is to ask follow-up questions.

ideal pathways to positivity: amusement, awe, gratitude, hope, inspiration, interest, joy, love, pride, and serenity.

Our goal then is to have a relationship where the positivity outweighs the negativity. That tipping point, according to John Gottman, is 5:1.

We don’t just thrive on feeling emotionally connected to others; research shows that we’re wired to connect with others—that we actually function best when we feel we are woven tightly into relationships.

Our sense of disconnection is far more cultural than it is circumstantial, more widespread than it is personal.

Vulnerability is anything that makes us feel we put ourselves “out there,” as well as anything that “lets them in.”