#299: How to Make & Keep Friends with Dr. Marisa G. Franco

Initiating

Initiating friendships as adults requires intentional effort and initiative, as Marisa G. Franco explains. Unlike childhood, where friendships often form organically through repeated interactions, adults must actively create opportunities for connection. Franco suggests joining social groups that meet regularly and embracing the mere exposure effect, which increases likability through repeated contact 1.

Friendship doesn't happen organically. As an adult, you're going to have to make it happen.

--- Marisa G. Franco

She emphasizes the role of an "igniter," someone who initiates social gatherings and fosters connections, as a key strategy for building friendships 2.

   

Maintaining

Maintaining strong friendships involves dynamic roles and regular check-ins. Mark Groves and Franco discuss how friendships can benefit from nurturing behaviors, akin to parenting, that adapt to different needs over time 3. Reconnecting with past friends and creating exclusive experiences can strengthen bonds.

If you're lonely, reconnect with someone. Because research finds that when you reach out to someone to reconnect, they actually appreciate it more than people predict.

--- Marisa G. Franco

High-functioning relationships, whether platonic or romantic, thrive on open communication and mutual support, blurring traditional relationship boundaries 4.