People With The Same Level Of Social Anxiety Form Closer Friendships

The key to an everlasting friendship isn't necessarily a mutual love for sports, entertainment or even whiskey.

While those things don't hurt, a new study has found it's actually shared insecurities that help new friends form stronger bonds.

A team of researchers led by Elaine M. Boucher of Providence College enlisted several pairs of undergraduate students who had only been friends for about four weeks, according to New York Magazine.

Each participant took two surveys.

The first asked about anxieties regarding social activity while the second questioned the strength the new relationship.

A second assessment of the friendships was made six weeks later.

Researchers determined that out of all the pairs, the friends who reported the most similar degrees of social anxiety had become the closest.

These findings aren't too difficult to conceive considering two people who have different feelings about talking to strangers or just going out in general are usually bound to drift apart.

It's also safe to say a big reason you feel so close to your friends is that you both tend to love or hate the same kinds of social environments based on the type or amount of people who frequent them.

This study was originally published in the journal Personal Relationships.

Citations: To Make a New Friend Bond Over Your Social Anxiety (New York Magazine)