Can You Have More Than One Best Friend – Here Is Our Opinion

8 types of important friendships

It is implied in the world best that there can only be one that is the best. But nowadays, when we are talking about best friends, the general consensus is that we can have more than one best friend.

The realities of life triumphs over semantics.

Different types of best friends

One of the reasons why it is so socially acceptable to have multiple best friends is that different friend fulfills different needs for us. They can all be the best within their category.

For example, many people consider their partner their best friend, but in addition to this relationship, they also have other friends who are important enough for them to be worthy of the title “best friend.”

Many people also consider their siblings or parents to deserve the title of their best friend.

Jealously and friendship

Are you asking the question because your best friend is jealous of your other friends?

Jealously is natural in human relationships, but it’s not a very fruitful emotion. Try to understand your friend’s jealousy. Are there other things that she needs from the friendship that she is not getting? Be kind and generous towards her, but also check out this article about 7 Signs of a Toxic friendship.

Because friendship is not an exclusive relationship, you are allowed to have several.

Are you the jealous one?

Do you want to be the only one for the person you have chosen as your best friend? Are you upset because you are a literal person who knows the meaning of best. You can definitely not have more than one best friend. It’s grammatically impossible.

Let’s see if this article can change your mind. Otherwise, you have to talk to your BFF and see if you can get her on board with your view.

High expectation

I love the concept of having a best friend. Throughout my life, I have had several best friends.

Because, to be honest, keeping one close friendship throughout your whole life is not easy. Things happen; you develop as a person, change jobs, meet new people, and fall in love.

Somewhere along the line, you lose your best friend, and you are forced to make new best friends.

We need several best friends

I need a lot from my best friend and the person with that title is not always available to give me everything I need. Our friends also have their own life. Thus, it is lucky, that being best friends is not a monogamous relationship. I’m free to search for a new Bestie and, at the same time, keep my best friend status with my older friends.

Several best friends are good for us

Check out my list of 8 different types of best friends and see how many of them you have. The different types of friends reflect the different dimensions we have in our personalities, and they are all the best in their own unique way.

1. Your oldest friend

All of us usually have at least one friend who is our oldest friend, and because of this feels like a best friend. Maybe someone you have known since childhood or someone you connected with at school?

Since life takes us in different directions, you might not spend so much time with this person anymore, but your shared history still makes you consider her your best friend. You still have that amount of love and trust for her.  

2. Your new cool best friend

Developing an epic friendship is a bit like falling in love. Thus, it is easy to feel infatuated with your most recent friend. Newness brings a lot of closeness between two people and you are already calling her your best friend, hoping the friendship will last a lifetime.

3. The best friend you spend a lot of time with

Another version of the person who, de facto, is our best friend, is the person we spend the most time with.

Maybe this person is a colleague who you also have a lot of things in common with. Thus the two of you see each other every day and share a lot of common ground. It is fair to say that she also qualifies as your best friend. She knows exactly what’s going on in your life right now.  

4. The best friend you share a passion with

Strong friendships can also develop over a shared passion. Your other best friends might not understand your passion, it’s a good thing you can have more than one best friend. Because whatever your passion, its more fun when you have someone who loves the same thing as you-

5. The friend you met during a difficult time

Difficult times, such as going through a breakup, usually make you connect with new friends. Maybe a new best friend who understands your situation in a way your old best friends don’t.

6. Your mentor

Best friends also come in the form of someone older and more accomplished. A mentor will help you get ahead in your chosen field. Oftentimes this relationship is a source of inspiration, and you don’t shy away from calling your mentor your best friend.

7. The one you tell everything to

We might have many best friends, in all areas of life. But not all of your best friends listen to your deepest, darkest secret. We often have one best friend we trust with confidential information.

8. The one you are dating

When we fall in love, we quickly become close friends with our partners. We spend a lot of time together. We share things we have never told anyone before. The relationship becomes deep and intimate and we do become best friends, in some sense of the world. If you want to know more about these dynamics, read my article Relationship vs Friendship – Top 7 Differences.

A final Note

Since we live a long time, we have plenty of time to develop several close friendships during our life. We are also all multifaceted persons with lots of needs and interests. It’s hard to imagine that one person could satisfy every need we have during all these years. Thus, it is commonly accepted that you can have more than one best friend.

In fact, I would recommend getting more friends if you have only had one best friend. Friendship enriches our lives. Read my article How to make new friends in your 30s, if you are ready to make new friendships.