The secret of strong female friendship is revealed

Female friendships are emotionally closer than male friendships because they tend to develop on an individual basis. In good times and bad, the physical and psychological benefits of female friendships are undeniable.

Friendship coach and Friend Forward podcast host Danielle Bayard Jackson looks at complex relationships between women to understand their fragility and help women create and maintain healthier friendships. She identifies three things that make women feel very close and connected, CNN writes.

The podcast host calls these three "S's" the three affinities of female friendships - support, symmetry, and secrecy. However, these are also things that can make female friendships fragile.

Support

The main thing women look for in a friendship is emotional support. Providing emotional help and showing solidarity. However, the problem is that this is very subjective. And women don't often talk about the support they need because they feel that saying it out loud will weaken the chemistry of the friendship - as if your friend just needs to know what you need.

"When we meet someone new - a new woman - and she offers some kind of support, even if it's just a little bit, we start looking at her like this: 'Oh, good, she's cool'. That's what unites us, but if it's not there, it can also tear us apart," says Daniel.

Symmetry

The idea of symmetry implies a sense of equality and reciprocity in friendship.

"One of the three biggest complaints I hear from women about their friendships is that they feel like they initiate more or give more than their friend," the expert explains. A sense of symmetry in a friendship is very important for women.

Secrecy

It doesn't necessarily have to be directly related to confided secrets. It's more about the feeling that women are in this exclusive repository and are participating in mutual self-disclosure. "The glue of female friendship: "I share, you share," explains the author.

These three concepts tend to bind women together. When one friend feels that one of these things is missing or imbalanced, it is the beginning of most problems that women have in their friendships. It can be either a small point of tension or a complete breakdown of the friendship.

Strengthening each of these areas, especially support, are ways to maintain friendships with other women. And you should also be comfortable sharing what you need. This doesn't take away from the friendship or the chemistry. "In any other relationship, we expect to communicate. But in friendship, we assume that it should be easy, natural, and organic. And that's a myth that kills relationships," says Daniel Jackson.

You can findonly verified information on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!