Everything from television, to books, to movies has told us that it's necessary to have a set of five or six friends you should hang out with regularly and nearly exclusively. It's been inculcated in us that we need a tight-knit squad, in which a group dynamic is steadily set and in which you go on adventures with. Whether your friend group is more like That 70s Show or Friends is entirely unimportant, so as you have a friend group in the first place.

But what if you don't have a friend group, and instead of a set of a few close friends who aren't necessarily best of friends themselves? What if you tend to form close bonds with people from different walks of life, and as such don't have a "squad"? Maybe you moved around a lot and kept a few close friends from each place you've lived, maybe you're involved in a lot of different activities and make friends as you go, or maybe the friends you have just happened to work out the way they did for a reason you're currently unaware of.

It's so incredibly easy to feel concerned that you're missing out on some essential aspect of growing up. It's so easy to wonder if there's something wrong with you if you don't fit the default scene in sitcoms and novels and you can begin to wonder if you should change and that you should actively seek to be part of a friend group.

But you don't need one. You can have a few best friends and be equally, if not more happy than you would have been in a big group of friends. Friendship isn't dictated by proximity or number or overall group dynamic. It's not dictated by how closely you adhere to society's idea of what your relationships should look like.

Friendship is instead based on mutual respect and understanding for one another. Having a few close friends you can laugh with and rely on completely is a blessing. Having people care about you deeply is definitely more fulfilling than being surrounded by a set of acquaintances who might not necessarily share as deep of a bond with you.

Being a part of a big group of friends is wonderful, but not being a part of a big group of friends isn't the end of the world. There's no use comparing yourself to others and their relationships with other people. If you instead operate best with a few close friends, don't doubt yourself and instead use your energy to spend time with those that care about you.