Friendship
Conclusion
Friendship is, in many respects, a "comfortable" love relationship. Friendships involve as little or as much intimacy as the partners are inclined to express at any given time. Friends are not normally obligated to exchange benefits, but do so in ways that are often so natural as to be unwitting. The ties that bind them are by unfettered mutual consent. In spite of its being so comfortable, in fact because of it, friendship contributes in unique ways to personal development and well-being.
See also: AFFECTION; ATTRACTION; INTIMACY; LONELINESS; LOVE; PEER INFLUENCE; SELF-DISCLOSURE; SOCIAL NETWORKS; TRUST
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PAUL H. WRIGHT
Additional topics
Marriage and Family EncyclopediaRelationshipsFriendship - Definition And Characteristics, Benefits Of Friendship, Voluntariness And Contextual Factors In Friendship, Friendships Throughout Childhood