By Arindam Ganguly
Bhubaneswar: In a city like Bhubaneswar, emerging as a major education and IT hub, the meaning of friendship is evolving. As demanding careers, digital interactions and changing lifestyles reshape personal relationships, many wonder whether genuine friendships are becoming harder to sustain.
While cross-gender friendships are increasingly common in colleges, workplaces and social circles, they are often viewed through the lens of romance, reflecting social attitudes that are gradually changing. On the occasion of Friendship Day, Orissa POST spoke to Bhubaneswar-based professionals, students, authors and mental health experts to understand what friendship means in adulthood and how it is evolving in today’s fast-paced world.
For City-based working professional Debamitra Mishra, true friendship is defi ned by quality, not quantity. “In today’s competitive world, many relationships have become transactional. The people we choose to keep around us shape our outlook and who we become. You don’t need a large circle of friends— just a few genuine ones,” she says. According to her, real friends celebrate each other’s success without jealousy, offer honest advice when needed and stand by one another through life’s toughest moments. She further says, “People often assume every friendship between a man and a woman has a romantic angle. But friendship is built on trust, respect and shared values, not gender.
Young doctor Bighnesh Das believes adulthood may shrink one’s circle of friends, but it also strengthens the bonds that truly matter. “As we grow older, our friendships become fewer but more meaningful. Instead of chasing a large social circle, we should value people who are dependable and not driven by self-interest,” he says.
College student Anandita Mishra feels adulthood helps people distinguish genuine friendships from relationships built on convenience. “Not everyone who applauds your success is truly in your corner,” she says. “Many adult relationships are driven by personal gain. Genuine friendship is rare, and that’s precisely what makes it so valuable. It teaches us to cherish those who stand by us without expecting anything in return.”
Author Omm Priyadarshi Chhotaray believes that while competition may influence professional lives, it should never define personal relationships. “Competition may shape our careers, but it need not define our relationships. Friendship is measured not by the size of our social circle but by the depth of trust within it,” he says.
Psychiatrist Amrit Patto Joshi underscores the importance of friendship in maintaining mental well-being. “Thousands of online connections can never replace the comfort of one genuine friend who listens without judgment. True friendship is one of the strongest protective factors against stress, anxiety and loneliness,” he says. As Friendship Day is celebrated, one message stands out: true friendship may be rarer in adulthood, but it remains timeless.
