The 3 Types of Friendship in Your Life

Aristotle said that true friendship is born from one of three things: pleasure, utility, good, or any combination of the three. We understand the meaning of the words, of course, but what do they have to do with types of friendship?

Before you continue reading, it is important to understand that any kind of friendship can turn into a life-long bond. There is no set of rules that must be adhered to nor any guidelines that have to be followed regarding the people who eventually become your inner circle. No one of these categories is better than another since all friendships play a role in your mental and physical health. With that being said, there are some friendships that are more likely to grow into close relationships than others.

Keep reading to learn about the 3 types of friendships and how they apply to you.

A Friendship of Pleasure

A friendship based on pleasure is founded primarily on the fact that the two of you enjoy each other’s company. These friendships are high in entertainment value, and that is usually the extent of it. These are the friends you always go to parties with but don’t think of as being close.

Friendships of pleasure are often group-centered and the activities you participate in usually include multiple people. It could be your Friday-night bowling league or the people you go for drinks with every single weekend. Although it is certainly possible to form a deep friendship from inside this social circle, the core purpose of this bond is being sociable and having fun with no strings attached and no pressure to hang out one-on-one.

A Friendship of Utility

These friendships are predicated on how useful you are to one another. For example, you are friends with your next-door neighbor whom you know you can rely on to feed your cats and bring in your mail when you’re on vacation. In return, they count on you to help them with odd jobs around their house that they would otherwise have to hire a professional for.

The success of these friendships hinges on them being, and remaining, a two-way street. You and your neighbor are of equal use to each other but in different ways. Like friendships of pleasure, friendships of utility can grow into something meaningful over time. Unfortunately, they are prone to breaking down if one party stops contributing.

A Friendship for Good

These friendships arise from shared beliefs or a common cause. They tend to be the strongest of the three friendship types. It’s not unusual for these friendships to have their roots in your very first job or your time at university. Perhaps the two of you wanted the same type of career or shared several life goals.

Even though friendships for good normally develop early on in life, that isn’t always the case. You can find a friend for good during any stage of your life. If the two of you have shared values, especially ones you recognize as being different from most others, you are more likely to form a lasting bond.

You often see these thriving friendships created in self-help, social action, or niche-interest groups like Weight Watchers, Alcoholics Anonymous, animal rights groups, and live-action role-playing communities to name a few. These friendships are also forged in oppressive societies.

The common thread that links these people is that the high degree of emotion that encompasses a specific cause, subject, or way of life often produces this kind of camaraderie.

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