On Friend Groups

Benefits of Friend Groups

• You (usually) aren’t the only person planning a hang out
• You (usually) aren’t the main source of entertainment during a group hangout
• More people = more things going on = more things to talk about

Creating a Friend Group

Creating a friend group starts from mutual friendships and slowly bringing in people over time.

• You can’t really force a friend group either
• A group can sometimes last for a little while but can fizzle out over time, especially if there is not a lot of time when you can all hang out together as a group

Small Friend Groups

I think 3-5 people is the sweet spot for a small friend group, but three is probably the most stable because it is the least amount of complexity in scheduling while being a non-dyad.

I personally prefer triads to dyads.

• A lot introverts prefer one-on-one interaction because it requires less energy and interaction, but some people like the security of having another person there to keep the energy up and take some of the anxiety off of them for having to drive a lot of the conversation.
  • Anyone else dislike hanging out 1-on-1 in person?

Examples of solid triads:

• Your bestie’s other bestie
• A friend and your mutual friend

Large Friend Groups

I like large friend groups, but they are more like a community than a friend group.

• I’ve been in a large friend group (25+ people) for many years.
  • I am not individually really close to each person but it is a community. You benefit from interactions between people who are more close to each other. You can reach out to the hive mind when you want to complain or seek information.
  • Such a large friend group will inevitably yield sub-groups but you don’t have to moralize/feel some type of way about that.
• There are certainly benefits to a friend group.
  • Not Having A Friend Group As An Adult Hurts The Most

Some are against large friend groups in-principle or from experience.

• I think there are usually people that you get along with more in a group
• Many people don’t like the concept of large friend groups, in principle or from experience.
  • Big friend groups never work.
  • People online are debunking the idea that having a large friend group is healthier, arguing ‘the best’ and ‘most authentic’ people have fewer friends
  • Why Big Friend Groups Are Overrated

Mixing Friend Groups

Not all friends/groups mix well and that’s okay.

• Friend groups usually come from a time or place in your life
• Those groups will have certain dynamics or people with characteristics that make them more or less likely to mesh with other groups
• however you should try to mix friend groups if you think that you can, it helps if you are trying to host a larger event that would benefit from more attendees