Friend groups

Just my personal opinion that I felt the need to document; don't take it too seriously! As an extreme introvert, I am very biased on this subject.

FRIENDSHIP: A bond between two people that is based on emotional support and trust
WHY IT'S HEALTHY: Natural desire to socialize and share with others; creates opportunities for personal growth; allows you to hear new ideas while receiving constructive feedback on your own ideas

COMMUNITY: A large group of people brought together by a common interest
WHY IT'S HEALTHY: Natural desire to socialize and share with others; creates opportunities to meet new friends; creates many opportunities for collaboration/creative projects/movements; helps people spread their ideas

FRIEND GROUP: A small group of people, usually between 3 and 9, brought together by social forces
WHY IT'S NOT HEALTHY: Encourages the idea that it's important to fit in; encourages groupthink; encourages gossip; unintentionally excludes people who may want to be part of the group but don't feel comfortable saying it; creates anxiety about doing anything outside the norms of the group; gives people an artificial sense of friendship (can claim you have many friends without actually being able to trust them); creates opportunities for jealousy/love triangles

I prefer getting to know individual people and interacting with them outside of a group setting. I find these relationships to be more authentic and less driven by unhealthy social norms.

Many people prefer friend groups, which is fine. However, I think it's important to recognize that a member of a friend group can never realistically know how many people feel excluded from the group. Many people on the outside, especially neurodiverse people, may want to join the group (or any group) and feel that something is wrong with them when they are unable to join. They may have a difficult time figuring out how to become join the group (or any group), since it is not socially acceptable to ask to join. People within the group may feel excluded too, if they perceive that they are being treated worse than others in the group.