The study of friendship should encourage people to assess who is actually in their life and why, what they get out of it, and at what cost.
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.
The reason why we fall out of love is that we're not in love with the person, but rather in love with what that person brings to us. A relationship transaction only works when both parties are gaining from the partnership.
The relationship between fans and creators is delicate, and when a creator feels like they owe their fans something, the relationship becomes strained and resentment can grow. This may stem from feelings of self-worth and a fear of losing support.
During remote work, the opportunities to make friends and build real relationships have decreased rapidly. Shared experiences and reciprocating self-disclosure can help build real friendships.