Friendship is an essential part of life. Through loving relationships, we gain greater self-worth and learn how to interact with the society at large. Unfortunately, making friends is a lost art. Few people know how to establish new relationships. This article discusses the joy of friendship and how to make friends.

True friendship leads to a joyful life. When you learn to draw close to other people, you will be more fulfilled and your heart will be set free to laugh. When one person makes an intimate connection with another he or she are filled with a sense of wholeness; they feel complete and accepted by society at large.

The regrettable reality of our society is that few really know how to make close friendships. Relationships can be sticky. People get defensive and do selfish things for the purpose of self-protection and self-preservation. This means we erect walls to guard our emotions and our fragile self-images. In order to get some sense of satisfying, personal interaction with others, many have turned to the television and movies for a vicarious experience. However, getting lost in the stories of others cannot truly replace a good friendship.

In order to make good friends you will need to display some of the following traits:

1. You will need to be friendly and genuinely interested in other people.

2. You will need to be open and vulnerable, willing to share your whole life with the other person.

3. You will need to have a good sense of humor and learn to laugh at yourself.

4. You will need to learn the lost art of conversation.

5. You will need to learn to be loyal when your friend is not present i.e. never gossip about the other person's shortcomings.

Friendship is a necessary part of life. We were never meant to live as islands or to be lone rangers. Learning how to make friends will lead you to a deep sense of fulfillment.

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