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If you have been on TikTok recently, you may have seen content about the seven friends theory. Ultimately just a bit of fun, the theory posits that each person should have seven close friends, each of whom plays a different friendship role in their life. A viral trend, the seven friends theory has had people posting content about their individual friends and showing them off to the world.

Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.

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The seven friends theory is a friendship theory that originated on TikTok. It attempts to describe the optimum circle of friends.

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According to the seven friends theory, each person should have a group of seven friends, each of whom plays a different but equally important role in their life.

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Examples of the types of friends include "the friend you have known since you were little" and "the friend you can tell absolutely anything."

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According to the seven friends theory, each friend plays a different supportive role, so that the burden of being a good friend doesn’t fall on one person alone.

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But while the idea of the seven friends theory may be appealing, many people may wonder how realistic it actually is.

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The seven friends theory went viral on TikTok, with huge numbers of people sharing videos that showed off their own seven friends.

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Let’s look at the different types of friend. The first is the friend you have had since you were little. Perhaps you were in kindergarten together, or your parents were next-door neighbors.

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There is usually a deep sense of comfort associated with the friend you’ve had since you were little; a strong bond that is based on your shared history together.

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Next, we have the friend who could make you laugh in any situation. Generally speaking, this person is always up for a good time.

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Imagine you are feeling a little low on energy and you need something or someone to cheer you up. Who are you going to call?

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The third category of friend is that person who you can go for a very long time without talking to–years, even–and still nothing changes.

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You may have completely different lifestyles and live at the opposite ends of the world, but whenever you do connect, you just pick up where you left off.

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Then we have the friend whom you can share anything with. You might like to think of this person as your vault.

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With this friend, you do not worry about them knowing your deepest, darkest secrets. You know they won’t shame you, and they won’t tell a soul.

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The fifth friend in the circle is the one who’s like a sibling. This friend tends to feel very comfortable around you and everything that’s yours.

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The friend who’s like a sibling may, for example, go and grab a snack from your cupboard without asking. They are the kind of friend you know will be in your life forever.

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There is also the friend you can’t imagine not being friends with. In general, this friend is an important part of your daily life.

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This is the friend whom you text more than anyone else; the friend who is the first to hear when something important happens in your life.

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And, finally, we have the friend who hears all about your relationship problems, even if they don’t want to hear about it.

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Including this friend in the group may be controversial, since sharing your relationship problems with them to their detriment may amount to an unfair emotional burden.

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It is no great secret that forging and maintaining friendships is a crucial part of the human experience.

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Indeed, research indicates that a lack of interpersonal relationships can be very detrimental to a person’s mental health.

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However, it is important not to panic if you have no idea who would fill the different friendship roles in your life.

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Making friends as an adult can be daunting, but there are some strategies that you may find useful.

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Experts recommend, for example, that when trying to find your people, you lean more into the hobbies and activities you enjoy.

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The idea is that if you are out in the world doing the things you love, you will attract the friendship of people who are passionate about doing the same.

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Another good tip is to become the type of person you would want to be friends with. This process starts with some self-reflection.

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Have a think about whether you would want to hang out with yourself. If not, consider why not, and think about making some changes.

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The bottom line with the seven friends theory is that it’s just a bit of fun. For many people it’s not realistic, for whatever reason.

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However, it does highlight the importance of friendship and encourage us to prioritize connection and forge friendships wherever we can.

Sources: (Verywell Mind)