From childhood on, Dr. Olds said, “men’s friendships are more often based on mutual activities like sports and work rather than what’s happening to them psychologically. The result is often less intimate, more casual friendships between men, making the connections more tenuous and harder to sustain. Mr. Beemer urged me to explore ways to promote male friendships, especially for retired men who often lose regular contact with colleagues who may have similar interests and experiences. “They felt that making and keeping friends was a lot harder for men, that close friendships were not part of their culture. Dr. Olds said of her husband, “Richard has a regular group phone call with friends who live in different parts of the country.

Source: New York Times June 27, 2016 09:45 UTC