Working Hard with Grace Beverley This is how you build real friendships (as an adult)
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Nov 24, 2025 Michelle Elman, an author and friendship expert, shares her insights on crafting meaningful adult friendships. She emphasizes the importance of intentionality, urging listeners to prioritize their connections just like their careers. The conversation delves into overcoming barriers to friendship, such as vulnerability and reciprocity. Michelle offers practical tips for starting new friendships, like inserting yourself into social settings and accepting small inconveniences for closeness. Ultimately, she reminds us that friendships are built, not found.
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Convenience Quietly Erodes Connection
- Convenience culture has made us allergic to inconvenience and reduced the friction that builds reward and resilience.
- Grace Beverley argues this convenience leaks into friendships, making deep connection less likely without intentional effort.
Friendship Predicts Long-Term Well-Being
- Loneliness carries severe health risks and is widespread among adults in the UK.
- Grace highlights that close friendships are the top predictor of long-term well-being from Harvard's study.
Self-Sufficiency Masks Isolation
- Cultural praise of self-sufficiency disguises isolation as strength and discourages asking for help.
- Grace calls this hyper-individualism a barrier to forming village-like support networks.
