But although Feb. 14 is known as a day for couples, many have made it a day generally for anyone with a friend, and a good one. Friendships canlast longer than serious relationships. Psychologists have said people with good friendships have greater self-esteem and live longer, healthier lives. Healthy friendships also help boost the immune system and confiding in friends eases stress. Friends equal fun.
Psychologists say people have more fun with friends than with their spouses.
The qualities of friendship are just as important, if not more, than those of an intimate relationship. The sign of a really good friend is when you haven't seen him or her in a long time and you pick up right where you left off. Experts say it takes an average of three years to make a friend. In reality, it could take no more than a few minutes of conversation. But how these friendships are expressed depends on whether you're a man or a woman.