Loneliness can be just as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day — which means that having friends might literally save your life. But often, we don't pay friendships the respect they deserve compared to romantic or familial relationships. In this episode, reporter Kavitha George talks with psychologist and friendship expert Marisa Franco about how to make more friends and deepen our preexisting friendships. This episode was originally published Sept. 13, 2022. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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You're listening to life kit from NPR.
Hey, everybody, it's Marielle.
When I was in college and in my early twenties, my friends and I would spend a lot of time going out to bars and basically looking over each other's shoulders, hoping to meet a romantic partner or somebody to hook up with.
It was almost like friendship was a placeholder until we could find a romantic connection.
I think that's pretty common.
And then folks start pairing off, right?
Getting married.
And again, friendship takes a hit.
It becomes like an accessory to your life, not a central part of it.
I will say at some point my feelings about friendship changed.
I realized how much love I already had right in front of me.
I mean, I've known some of my friends for decades.
We've seen each other through breakups and bad haircuts, illness and job losses.
But there's a lot I've had to unlearn about where friendship should rank on your priority list.
Psychologist Marissa Franco has studied friendship for years, and she says it's just as important to our happiness and well being as our romantic and family ties.