The 3 levels of friendship

Think about your circle of friends. Are those relationships as close and active as you’d like them to be? The Atlantic outlines three levels of friendship. Use these to help identify the relationships ripe for moving from one category to the next.

Active friends: You speak or write frequently, and you would be comfortable contacting them if you need help. You are probably friends on social media, but you text them directly on their birthday (or send a card). Your partners know one another.

Dormant friends: Someone you have some history with, like friends from college or a former workplace, but you haven’t been in regular touch, even though you keep meaning to call or email. You wish them happy birthday on social media. If you’re looking to expand your circle of active friends, this is the easiest pool to draw from.

Commemorative friends: Someone you may have known well at one time, but you don’t expect to hear from, like someone from elementary or middle school. Social media is full of these friends – you might feel a fond nostalgia about them, and you might “like” some of their posts, but you don’t feel you need to know more than what they offer online.

Source: The Atlantic