Men bond with friends for life

[1]

Gender might have nothing to do with the art of making friends, but it might play a strong role in holding on to that friendship and making it last. A recent poll claims that men have more than twice as many friends as compared to women.
Interestingly, according to this poll by a cosmetic brand, the average male claims to have 26 mates as compared to females, who say they have a network of 12 close friends.
The survey also found that people tend to have their biggest friendship circle at the age of 21.
Twenty one-year-old student Aseem Sachdeva is proud of her circle of friends. “I have friends at college and my neighbourhood. Then I have friends from my gym and Facebook. Most of them I count as my close buddies. These are the ones with whom I may go on trips,” he says. “Also, many of my friends aren’t even my age and are from different social backgrounds,” he adds.
Agrees Delhi-based santoor maestro Abhay Rustum Sopori, 27, who is often present at major social gatherings in the city. “Over the years I have cultivated a huge network of friends and many of them are from my profession. I think that when men make friends they simply like the person, while when women are looking out for friendship, they look for many more things. Like they should be able to converse on a particular topic and exchange notes on various issues etc. So, while they may be okay initially, they aren’t able to take this friendship further for a longer period and distance,” he observes.
“Also, there is a general observation that women tend to share every thought with their ‘friends’ and seek advice on almost everything. This may often create a rift. Men, on the other hand, may not be open about their problems, which in a way keeps unnecessary tension among friends away,” opines sociologist Shilpa Jha.
According to Abhay, men taking a lead with socialising, atleast in the Indian context, has got a lot to do with our conservative mentality. “To me, it’s simple. It doesn’t matter for how long boys are out of home, hanging out with friends, but if girls do the same thing, it’s just undesirable to the family. She is expected to be home at a particular time, and interact with a limited bunch of people. However, there are no such restrictions on men,” he adds.