Be a social butterfly
You don't have to stick to the same old circle all the time.
But I like my mates
Your mates. A bunch of people you have loads in common with. You like the same movies, the same food, the same clothes, the same music. You do the same things and go to the same places. Great, you might think. Perfect, even. While it's good to have friends that you really 'click' with, it's not good to narrow your social circle down too much. Don't be too cliquey, or even a snob - everyone knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of this kind of behaviour and it doesn't do anyone any favours. Take a chance, you can mix and match your mates more easily than you might think.
Why bother?
Sticking to the same narrow social group can give you a pretty shallow range of experience. In his book, 'Staying Sane', psychiatrist Raj Persaud even suggests that restricting your social circle could be bad for your mental health. Get out and meet some new people, do something different. Doing the same old things with the same old people can get boring sometimes, and can restrict you if you feel like asserting your individuality and trying a new activity. If your old mates are all the same, and they don't want to join in with any bright ideas you might have then you're stuck, unless you make some new friends. For example, if you want to try snowboarding, but your mates aren't interested, go on your own to a nearby dry-ski slope for lessons. If you're used to hanging out in a gang of familiar faces, it might feel a bit weird, but give it a try or you'll probably end up feeling like you've missed out. You'll most likely get on well with at least one other person in the beginners' class, so stick your neck out and make a new mate. If you decide that you love your new hobby then you've got someone to go snowboarding with.
How many is too many?
You can never have too many friends. It's great to have a good mix of people you can call on for different things: culture vultures for when you're feeling arty, club kids for when you want to shake that ass baby, the good listener who will let you let off steam after a shitty day, and so on. Just think how many more parties you'll get invited to. It doesn't mean that you'll end up sacking all your old pals. You'll have loads of cool new things to talk about when you see them, and maybe they'll even feel inspired to get out of their own rut. And if, for any reason, you fall out with them, there will be plenty of other people to hang out with.
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