Friendship Survey Results

The results are in. I'd like to say Thank You to everyone who took the time to fill out my survey on friendship.

You may view the full results at Wufoo.

My Thoughts

One reason I created this survey is because I've grown tired of hearing "You can never have too many friends, right?". It's always rubbed me the wrong way. Yes, I think you can too many friends.

If we assume the following:

1. friendships require a minimum investment of time to maintain (which has always seemed evident to me)
2. the time a person has available is finite

Then we should quickly reach the following conclusions:

1. friendships can weaken or even end if enough time is not invested
2. one has too many friends when the time required to maintain ones friendships is greater than the time one has available to do so

A 68% majority of responses believed that friendships do require a minimal time investment. Interestingly, only 56% believed it's possible to have too many friends.

I also found it interesting that so many people stay friends after dating (40%) and after the end of a serious relationship (45%).

See anything interesting that I've missed?

Comments

[BlueChip]

"See anything interesting that I've missed?"

Yes, you're applying cognitive rationalisation to an emotional response.

Word it the other way around: "How many of your 'friends' do you wish would go away and never return because they are stifling you from forming stronger friendships with others?"

Finally: The definition...
To me: "friends" are invaluable and "mates" are people I like
To a (once) close friend of mine: "mates" are invaluable and "friends" are people he likes
...No, I *didn't* just make that up to have something to say ...yes, I am bored

BC

[Josh Goebel]

It's not that I wish any of my existing friendships would die. The context is usually a date or potential date that never panned out. We decide there isn't anything there, but the girl still wants to be friends because "you can never have too many friends"... and some girls really don't get the concept that yes you can...

If I have free time I'd rather be spending it with existing friends, potentially dating someone else, or maybe reading a good book rather than talking to a someone I have no interest in... so this also connects back around to the "do you stay friends after dating someone" stat...

[mel]

can you please do Ch.15-20 for The Odysse.

[Jonathan]

I don't think it's really possible to have more than 15-20 friends. If I only spend an hour a month with someone, I usually don't consider them a friend... they're an acquaintance.

[Enlightened]

Hello Josh. Sorry by that question, could please tell me, which library do you use to indent and color source codes? I just wanted to do same thing when I post some parts of my code at my site or blog. (I use ruby mainly)

[Custom term paper]

To bad I missed the survey...

[Friendship Letters]

Hi,

the points you have written on friendship is actually foundation on ones relation.. i totally agree with you...10xs

Friendship Letters

[levity]

"but the girl still wants to be friends because 'you can never have too many friends'... and some girls really don't get the concept that yes you can..."

ah, the plot thickens. if i were told that after dating, i would interpret it as "no harm in trying to still be friends". as in, let's keep investing time in each other until we find something better to spend the time on.

"rather than talking to a someone I have no interest in..."

you seem to want to say, "i would be friends with you, except then i will run out of time for my other friends and the rest of my life." i think it's more to the point to say "i don't want to be friends with you."