The Disneyfication of relationships and friendships has made them appear more like bonds between souls, but in reality, they are a risk and have stakes involved in them. Friendship grows on you like a suntan- it takes time and effort.
Shared difficulties in achieving a difficult goal create a bond beyond traditional friendship, and often lead to a more vulnerable and meaningful relationship, according to the speaker. However, this form of bond is often overlooked in conversations about vulnerability.
The significance of friendship is highlighted in this episode as the host compares his book to a quote by English writer C. S. Lewis, emphasizing the idea that friendship grows on you like a suntan and the importance of having someone on a common journey and mission.
Friendship has evolved as a way for humans to survive by bonding with others to face shared challenges like hunting and collecting food to avoid death. However, there is a romanticization around friendship that tends to ignore the stakes and reduce it to a transactional exchange.
Friendship is something that humans have worked out years ago and it comes down to celebrating it. It helps in making us better human beings and endure beyond context.
Social media can be a positive platform for bridge into real connections, but it's not as effective for wellbeing as face-to-face relationships. Online groups can create echo chambers that get stuck in an extremity and shared purpose.