In a world determined to isolate us, friendship may be the best way to keep each other alive

‘I’ve never understood guarding friends from others. Each friend augments the experience of being friends; each friend expands the friendship universe,’ writes Rebecca Shaw. Photograph: Maskot/Getty Images

Last week I went to a beloved friend’s 40th birthday, and I got to witness something I deeply believe about friendship distilled in one room.

Sitting around a table full of mutual friends, screaming and laughing in a way that would usually be annoying, the subject of how everyone had become friends with the birthday boy came up. I’ll call him Ben.