Why is it the older we get the harder it is to form true friends?

Part of what helps make a person a 'good friend' is a common subset of experiences.





When you are in High School (and to a lesser degree, College) you have a reasonable chance of being surrounded by people who have similar experiences in music, television, music, leisure activities and more.





Not that you can be friends with all, or even most of these people, but you maximize your potential.





As you get older, the ratio of people around you with whom you share so much diminishes.





I know for me, it has been difficult to adapt to the things I took for granted as a child, that most of the people around me are unfamiliar with.





Odd example, but the Sound of Music; a given in my childhood, unknown by many, especially the younger generation.





In many ways it is this subset of common tastes, experiences (E-ticket!) and memories that make a good friendship possible. (Or at least more probable.)





I am honestly not sure the answer 'because we get pickier' which I see above me is really true, I suspect we are always picky about such things. It's just easier to find good company with people you share things with, and the older you get, the wider your own experiences, and fewer people that surround you (a) have a similar enough set, and (b) are even the same age.Why is it the older we get the harder it is to form true friends?
As we get older, people are pretty much set in their ways. They have children and families and real jobs. They may already feel like since they already have their 2 best friends they don't need anymore, which is a shame. The older we get, the more closed up and shut off from the world we are. I've always heard that people become more open the older they get, but I've noticed people become more closed off.Why is it the older we get the harder it is to form true friends?
The fact is, it isn't human nature to form lasting alliances. The older we get, the more we fend for ourselves and the less likely we will go out of our way for others. The only one who you can depend on is yourself.
because when you get older, people are less likely to change, because they are set in their own ways. and since you dont go to school, there are less opportunities to find someone to just chill with because of work and families and so on. =]
We are usually less open to new things in general and when we are young we tolerate people who are frankly inappropriate and make us unhappy just because we lack discretion.
Because as we get older we have more experience and become pickier.
Dang it! The old ones die. And we're afraid to make new ones. They may die too.
We get set in patterns, which limits our opportunities to meet others.
Because as we get older we lose our innocence.
not true.


In fact your developed gut instincts make you pick out good friends faster