#How to Make Real Friends

THE CHALLENGE

Thanks to technology, you can connect with more people—and do so more conveniently—than at any other time in history. Still, the relationships you have might seem rather shallow. One young man put it this way: “I feel as if my friendships could just fizzle out. On the other hand, my dad has friends he’s been close to for decades!”

Why is it such a challenge these days to enjoy enduring and meaningful friendships?

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Technology, BOON or BANE?. Texting, social networking, and other social media have made it seem possible to maintain a friendship without being in someone’s presence. Meaningful conversations have been replaced by rapid-fire texts and tweets. “People are having fewer face-to-face interactions,” says the book Artificial Maturity. “Students spend more time in front of a screen and less time with each other.”

But cannot texting and social media help you keep in touch with people and thereby strengthen your friendships? Yes—especially if you also have an offline relationship with those people. Often, however, social media merely builds bridges to others without drawing you any closer to them.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. Define real friendship.
2. Establish priorities.
3. Get out and meet people.
4. Write a letter. ( why NOT use these 'old technology' to make friend? :-D )
   

The Bottom Line

Real friendship involves more than just keeping in touch. It requires that you and your friend display love, empathy, patience, and forgiveness. Those qualities ultimately make a friendship rewarding. But they are difficult to display when you only talk online.

DON'T FORGET TO SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND INSIGHTS TOO. LET'S HAVE A HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS :-)