Blessed Are the Straight Talkers. . . Like My Neighbour
My neighbour Dave is blunt, loud, and a little Homer Simpson-esque—but he taught me a lesson about honesty that no polite smile could. Sometimes friendship means hearing the truth, even when it’s awkward.
Friendship Lab on BBC Songs of Praise
It was a delight to be interviewed by Laura Wright for BBC's Songs of Praise program. We covered the friendship crisis, I ask Laura some searching get-to-known-you questions and you even see a mini Friendship Lab Course in action.
Can You Be Friends with an AI Chatbot?
With millions of people using ChatGPT to find personal affirmation, and apps like Replika allowing us to create our own AI Friend, it's time to see just what they offer.
The Apology That Came 40 Years Later
When I was 13, I had my first girlfriend. We held hands behind the teacher’s back and went roller skating on weekends—until she dropped me for my friend. I was heartbroken. Two weeks ago, a message landed in my inbox—from her.
The Friendship Lab Course is Here!
Learn the unspoken rules of friendship—with our evidence-based course you can take anytime, anywhere.
How to Maintain Friendships Across Political Divides
Whatever country you live in, our great challenge these recent years has been how to stay friends with people who think or vote differently to us. Thankfully, such friendship really is possible.
Take it From Margaret: This Simple Act Can Really Make Your Life Count
"As the afternoon tea ended, Margaret hugged Emily tightly. For ten minutes she sobbed, unable to let Emily go, because it had been so long since she’d felt seen and heard."
“Go at the Speed of Joy,” He Said. But Could I?
Sitting in a hotel room late last year, six words dropped into my mind: Go at the speed of joy. I’ve been trying to put them into practice ever since.
The Question That Shook Me From Relational Complacency
It was the question that burrowed under my skin and wouldn't come out. And it did me good, shaking me from my complacency. It came a few years ago when Merryn and I were sitting in a seminar on fostering and adoption. As well as informing us of the joys that adoption can bring, our
Why Can’t Us Men Tell Each Other How We Feel?
In our Friendship Lab Survey, how and when to express affection to a friend came up as a common question, often by men. It wasn’t always difficult to do so, so where did we go wrong?