Friendship

Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating the following on a consistent basis:

• the tendency to desire what is best for the other
• sympathy and empathy

• honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth , especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart
• mutual understanding

In a comparison of personal relationship, friendship is considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association can be thought of as spanning across the same continuum. The study of friendship is included in sociology, social psychology, anthropology,philosophy, and zoology. Various theories of friendship have been proposed, among which are social exchange theory, equity theory,relational dialectics, and attachment styles.