That’s what you get when you walk into the Cheers bar in Boston.
The massively popular TV series I grew up with in the 80s and 90s.
It’s such a desirable place to be, where you know all the people around you, they are your social circle.
In our modern world of online communication having a place like cheers seems even more distant, and therefore more important.
I long to be part of a group like those in Cheers or Friends. So much so it hurts sometimes how lonely I feel.
‘Where everybody knows your name.’
Such a simple phrase, yet it gives so much meaning. This is what we all want. Our lifestyles are such that we fail to place much emphasis on social circle. But we know that our happiness depends on the people we’re surrounded with.
I read somewhere I forget, that familiarity is the basis for friendship. Who you see regularly becomes your social circle. It doesn’t matter so much how well you get on with them. But more how much time you spend with them. It’s called the Familiarity Principle or the Mere Exposure Effect. The more time you spend with something, or someone, the more you like it/them.
This post then is a plea to all of you.
I need to find this! You need to find this!
It can be difficult, there’s so much around us that seems to keep us apart.
There is no debate on this, the science in. But we don’t need science to tell us we need more time with other people.
Cheers and Friends are somewhat idealising friendships but the sentiment is right. The lyrics spell it out.
Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Cheers Intro
Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
You wanna go where people know, people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows your name.