In their book on friendship, Liz Spencer and Ray Pahl identified 8 different types (based on their research).
Associates were people who only shared a common activity, like a hobby or a sport.
Useful contacts were people who shared information and advice, typically related to work or advancing ones career.
Favor friends were people who helped each other out in a functional manner, but not in an emotional manner.
Fun friends were people who socialized together, but only for fun. They didn’t provide each other with a deep level of emotional support.
Helpmates were a combination of favor friends and fun friends. They socialized together and helped each other out in a functional manner.
Comforters were like helpmates, but they also provided emotional support.
Confidants disclosed personal information to each other, enjoyed each other’s company, but weren’t always in a position to offer practical help, for example if they lived far away.
Soulmates displayed all of the elements.
Which types of friendships are you targeting?
Tags: friendship
thanks paul. i agree with the foundation/overall approach of this chart. i think it really sums up the different roles our friends can play, and the different roles we often play for our own friends.
might i suggest a slight variation though?
http://butterteam.tumblr.com/post/538468201/eight-types-of-friendships-original-chart-via
@butter team I like it, but I’m not sure my mother would call anyone in her network ‘Bro’ ;-D
Friends are sitting in my heart
Facebook should adopt this
Thanks for you this post. Also read you presentation on social networks of how people have different groups and identities. Interestingly Flickr.com has this concept on their website, one can decide on the type of friend and therefore restrict who is seeing what!
I guess it was against the FaceBook “business requirement” or neglect to introduce such a system
.
Who wins in UX when it comes to requirements, users or businesses?
Paul, thank you. However, I think this classification of friends is a little bit uncompleted as well as your consideration of this problem in your slide-show. For example, what about relatives, coworkers, online friends moved from offline, etc. I research this issue a couple of years and write on “virtual friendship” in context of “social” Internet future at my blog (unfortunately, in Russian only). Last my post on this topic is “Social labyrinth, or What is a friend’s weight?” http://amilner.itechbridge.com/2010/07/20/social-labyrinth/ . It’s regarding your last posts and your future book. You could understand what I want to say if read attachment in English to the post .
oh god i died reading the ‘butter team’ chart. ‘chillbro’? ‘sharebro’? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
props!
that having been said, this particular list is neither funny nor illuminating… disappointing, because i expected more insight.
yeah it sucked ass huh?
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Paul, thanks for sharing; we need many more conversations like this! My hypothesis is that digital social networks give us unprecedented choice of people with whom to have relationships, but very few humans have EVER been good at choosing and managing complex relationship webs (“social networks”). Why? Because geo and social position largely dictated with whom we interacted. IOW, we aren’t supposed to be good at this. As an exec and long-time networker and coach, i have remarked on this but only recently it because obvious (after reading Dunbar). People aren’t good at offline networking, and online is even more difficult for them because they aren’t aware of how to do it face to face, so transferring to a digital process is even harder. Cheers
You have added soul mates and I think that it is the hardest among the other list that you can easily acquire around.
this intensely oversimplied
I believe you have made many truly interesting points. Not too many people would really think about it the direction you just did. I am truly impressed that there is so much about this subject that has been uncovered and you did it so nicely
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That’s really nice of you paul that you have given perfect information about types of friend and friendship.I really like that knowledge because I am experiencing different friends and the exact philosophy which you have given.
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Hi Paul,
I am really confused of my friendship. My friend is married and loves is wife a lot and in same way me too.
his behaviour towards his wife and me is same. He always want me to be with him.
he is my office Friend and our friendship is 10 months old. We share everything breakfast, lunch in one plate, use same bottle to drink water. share chocolates.
Our choices differ a lot and we fight a lot. but on third day come close to each other. I don’t know about him but somethmes i feel like heaven when he care about me.
we are emotionally very much attached to each other that every one in office teases us that u both are “Partners”.
coz, if we don’t talk to each other there is a complete silence in office and wehn we start talkin to each other its all fun everywhere in office.
please tell me is it am attracted to him or what is this?????
That is really nice idea specially when you have limited space. Also, it is effective when watering your plants. I can t wait growing more indoor flowers using this means.
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Hi, Paul. Have you ever tried to put popular web services onto some visual graph according to various friendship types that they facilitate? Who is who of the social web so to say.
thanks paul
i got something good for my project on friendship.
nice one. you forgot wingman friend, mos def necessary. i found another inspiring list here as well >> izzyandtam.com/2012/04/14/types-of-friends-every-group-has