What Are Friends For Analysis

Model Essay: “What Are Friends For?”

We can all agree that friends make our lives better. Friends encourage us, make us feel good, almost anyone would agree. The article “What Are Friend For?” by Tara Parker-Pope explains that having friends not only make us happier, it also makes healthier, both mentally and physically. First, the author notes that our friendships can positively affect our brain health, stress levels, and lifespan. Second, Parker-Pope describes a study that showed that individuals with a large circle of friends feel more confident in facing difficult situations. One of the most significant ideas presented in this article is that friends can give us the mental strength to overcome obstacles that we face.

To begin with, facing a difficult life obstacle with friends is easier than facing it alone. The article discusses a study in which students had to climb a steep hill. Before they began, the students were asked to guess how steep the hill was. According to the article, "the students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill" compared to those who stood alone. That is to say, those who had the support of their friends felt more capable of succeeding the challenge of climbing the hill. This quote

She is an active person with a busy social life. During the afternoon, she walks to the park to meet her friends to play Bingo. At night, she takes the bus to the community center, and discusses family and past memories with her friends. I am amazed at her overall energy and when she is pretty adept at recalling her past memories when she is talking to her friends at the center. She told me she is lucky to have such a large number of friends at her age, who her active and motivated. This is why I feel that her active social life and strong networks of friends are enhancing her brain