I roughly agree but I think your point presumes that is easier to have friends outside of work. It's a yes/no heavily dependent on your circumstances. I grew u

I roughly agree but I think your point presumes that is easier to have friends outside of work. It's a yes/no heavily dependent on your circumstances. I grew up and went to college in Massachusetts, and now live in NYC metro area. Many of the folks I count as part of my good friends or even best friends aren't nearby. So my friendships with them rely heavily on group texts, and infrequent in-person gatherings. But like lots of folks here, I worked a LOT during my 20s/earlier 30s and spent a lot of time in the office with coworkers, and subsequently a lot outside the office with coworkers. Four of my colleagues from the company I worked at from age 23-29 were groomsmen in my wedding. Two of those folks live in NYC metro with me. We're still very close. Work/industry-related conversation isn't exhausting with them because they're some of the smartest folks I know (again: in the same industry). I sometimes find friendships outside of this context exhausting. Some people don't have interesting lives or careers or both! Work provides a logical conduit to establish a friendship or quickly decide if someone won't be a friend.