Diversifying our material assets is a well-known concept. As it turns out, doing the same with relationships is a good idea as well. Finding a significant other is wonderful, but may not be enough for meeting all of our emotional needs. Having different people around to help with varying emotional tasks seems to be linked to greater life satisfaction. There is even a word for it: “emotionships”.
Research shows that having people in our lives with various emotional skill sets helps us mentally act our best. When taking stock of your support network be sure to include the entire cast. You will need listeners, distractors, and doers as they can all help us regulate our emotions. Maybe that fair-weather friend has a purpose to fill afterall!