(Stillness in the Storm Editor) Friends, family, and those closest to us are very important. Regardless of who you are or where you come from, you need other people in your life. Psychologically, we’re hardwired to know ourselves through who we become near others, wherein the brain regulates our emotions and sense of self-worth based on the health of our social attachments. This is physically woven within the fabric of our body, meaning there are neurological systems designed to reward us for healthy social attachments.
While striving for personal autonomy—independence—is aspirable, it cannot be done in rejection of true human connection. Without other people to live with, contend with, and harmonize with, who can know and love us, the psyche tends to breakdown.
As a researcher, in my review of the basis of mental illness, we might say that almost every psychological issue you can think of is in some way related to a sense of abandonment, neglect, or loss of human connection. For instance, it’s likely the reason homeless people seem to go crazy over time because their socially isolated, as an older study suggests.
What’s more, consider the effect of child neglect, which is one of the most damaging types of abuse.
In short, at a very deep level, who we are is a tapestry of self-aspects we create as we face challenges and take actions in life. The more we use them the more the overarching personality of the conscious mind can integrate and harmonize our ego-aspects, forming the sense of self we use every day. Some of the most dynamic and stimulating experiences of our lives involve other people.
Hence, as so many spiritual works suggest, like the Law of One, we seem to be divinely designed for social interaction, specifically, that we evolve spiritually through fellowship.
33.17 Questioner: Do we have enough time left to ask the second part of this question which is to list all major mechanisms designed to provide the catalyst that include action with other-self? Do we have enough time for that?
Ra: I am Ra. You have much time for this, for we may express this list in one of two ways. We could speak infinitely, or we could simply state that any interaction betwixt self and other-self has whatever potential for catalyst that there exists in the potential difference between self and other-self, this moderated and undergirded by the constant fact of the Creator as self and as other-self.
Psychologically, we can understand this personality growth concept as mood and psyche regulation—that the healthier a person’s social relationships the better being the experience.
The following article discusses this in more detail.
– Justin
by Staff Writer, August 19th, 2019
There are friendships you rekindle every once in a little while. Likewise, there are others that end due to different circumstances or lack of time. Other friendships help you grow because they give you strength, support, and assistance. These are healthy friendships.
The people who build healthy friendships pour their love, respect, and trust in them. In this article, we discuss them further.
“Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.”
-Marcus Tullius Cicero-
Buy Book The Friendship Cure: Reconnecting in the Modern World
Characteristics of healthy friendships
Healthy friendships encourage you to grow and motivate you to evolve and are always there for you.
- Honesty. Healthy friendships are honest. In other words, they’re sincere, respectful, and fair.
- Assertiveness. Transmitting what you want to say in the best way possible is also an important characteristic of this type of friendship, since it favors the well-being of its members.
- There are boundaries. People in healthy friendships can say no because they don’t act under the shroud of complacency. Rather, they act based on what is fair for all the members.
- They foster trust. Trusting one another is key in these type of relationships. Creating security in the relationship and eradicating all fears and prejudices are some of its priorities.
As you can see, healthy relationships are authentic. They allow you to show yourself as you are. When you fight or have differences of opinion, the friendship becomes more important than trying to convince the other of one’s point of view.
How to build healthy friendships
Healthy friendships are the result of a combination of effort, values, and abilities:
- Acceptance. Accepting the other person and yourself is the basis of authenticity. Along with respect and tolerance, it builds healthy relationships.
- Optimism. Not focusing on complaints and judgments is basic in good friendships. Doing so will help you build a positive perspective.
- Assertive communication. Whether it’s an agreement or disagreement, getting your message across as effectively as possible is the key to building good relationships with other people. This way, the other person will be able to understand your point of view, which will prevent any misunderstanding.
- Respect. It’s all about knowing how far you’ve come and understanding how far the other person has come.
- Saying goodbye to competition. It doesn’t matter who achieves more or who reaches their goal first. Instead, it’s about growing, evolving, and transforming because life isn’t a race, but an adventure.
- Emotional management. Knowing how to manage your emotions helps you be more assertive. Likewise, it increases your understanding of your actions and behavior as well as those of others. All of this can be very helpful for building healthy friendships.
Now, in addition to all of these characteristics, you can’t forget the most important one: knowing yourself. Practicing self-reflection helps you become a better person.
What are the benefits of healthy friendships?
There are many benefits that come from creating healthy bonds. Healthy friendships:
- Promote happiness.
- Increase your sense of belonging.
- Reduce stress.
- Improve your confidence.
- Cultivate authenticity.
- Lead to optimism.
It’s amazing what healthy friendships can do for you. For example, having them favors healthy aging. Otero Puime, Zunzunegui Pastor, François, Rodríguez Laso, García de Yébenes, and Prous suggested this in their article for the BBVA Foundation. Similarly, they also stated that psychosocial networks play an important role in healthy aging.
In particular, they demonstrated the benefits of having intimate friends as well as of playing an active role in healthy relationships. Therefore, healthy friendships lead to a better quality of life, especially in older people.
Another important aspect of this type of friendship is that they help people deal with their fears and anxieties. They help people overcome obstacles through support and also favor well-being.
It’s wonderful to see how you can grow alongside friends who support you and help you become a better person. Therefore, don’t stop appreciating them. Value the time they spend with you and the love they share with you.
“True friends aren’t the ones who make your problems disappear. They are the ones who won’t disappear when you’re facing problems.”
-Anonymous-
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
Psychology is the study of the nature of mind. Philosophy is the use of that mind in life. Both are critically important to gain an understanding of as they are aspects of the self. All you do and experience will pass through these gateways of being. The preceding information provides an overview of this self-knowledge, offering points to consider that people often don’t take the time to contemplate. With the choice to gain self-awareness, one can begin to see how their being works. With the wisdom of self-awareness, one has the tools to master their being and life in general, bringing order to chaos through navigating the challenges with the capacity for right action.
– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
Stillness in the Storm Editor’s note: Did you find a spelling error or grammatical mistake? Send an email to [email protected], with the error and suggested correction, along with the headline and url. Do you think this article needs an update? Or do you just have some feedback? Send us an email at [email protected]. Thank you for reading.
Source:
https://exploringyourmind.com/healthy-friendships-bonds-help-grow/
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