You have to create your relationships. They don’t magically show up. Whether you and I admit it or not, we need people (link is external). We need others to dialogue with, to provide sounding boards
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Why Do We Make Fun of Men Who Hang Out Together
In my years writing, speaking and teaching about friendship, I am always struck by an odd contradiction: Some of our most groundbreaking data on the importance of friend relationships comes from studies looking at men,
Read moreShould You Forgive
There is no rule that requires that you forgive. Period. While religion often promotes forgiveness, ultimately it’s something that cannot be compelled or required. Forgiveness requires a special kind of thinking that is not always
Read moreDoes Online Dating Really Work?
A study at Univertity State Michigan examined this ongoing and mysterious phenomenon called internet dating. Unfortunately, it costs $51 to read that article. Fortunately, The Washington Post did the heavy lifting. They said the study found
Read moreBromance and Tribe Identity
I have been observing the friendship behaviors of two young men, now both in their 20s, for as long as they’ve been alive—they are my sons. As a researcher of friendships, traditionally women’s, I must admit
Read moreCan People With Different Views Get Along One Hopeful Case
These are scary times. And not just because of climate change and global terrorism and all the other physical threats we face. It’s frightening to live in a world where, more and more, people are
Read moreNeed a Boost Skip the Coffee and Think of Your Partner
Anybody who has ever been in a romantic relationship knows that they can be a source of euphoria and delight. But, have you ever considered whether your romantic relationship could actually physically energize you? Research
Read moreThe Perils of Left and Right Swiping
Though online dating is big business, it has certainly been viewed as a stigmatized activity. When I was a younger, single man navigating the dating market the idea of being 21 on a dating site
Read moreOur Daughter Has Relationship Problems
Hello Dr. G, Please help! My husband and I are desperate. Our 17-year-old daughter keeps going back to her boyfriend who is the same age and dumps her and makes her hurt so badly and
Read moreHow To Opt Out of a Friendship
QUESTION Dear Friendship Doctor, About 10 years ago—and against my better judgment, because I had not wanted to pursue a relationship with her—I accepted an invitation from another woman, an acquaintance from a prior church,
Read moreFor Better and For Worse
That was then; this is now. A new survey by the U.S. Census Bureau suggests that times have changed in the Golden State. Only 21 percent of us remarry following a divorce or the death
Read moreMicromanaging Every Move A Coercive Control Tactic
Coercive Control is not about one partner simply being “bossy” or “a nag;” it’s about domination. People do not easily give up their right to make decisions about their own lives. But some people are
Read moreFive Reasons We Play the Blame Game
You’ve left the stove on too long and now your meal is burned. On your way out the door, your cat escaped outside, and now you’ll be late. While walking down the street, you slip
Read moreMy Mother Is Destroying My Social Life
Dear Dr. G., I am a teenage girl and l am from Zimbabwe. My mother is destroying my social life..whenever l make plans with my friends she wants their mothers’ numbers to confirm if it’s
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