Brain responds more to close friends (Medical Daily)

People's brains are more responsive to friends than to strangers, even if the stranger has more in common, according to a study in the Oct. 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

"In all experiments, closeness but not similarity appeared to drive responses in medial prefrontal regions and associated regions throughout the brain," Krienen said. "The results suggest social closeness is more important than shared beliefs when evaluating others."

All of which underscores the importance of community, connections, relationships as the key factors in health, wealth and wellbeing.

In his "The Empathic Civilisation" Jeremy Rifkin reveals how we're wired to empathise, not compete. Recommended viewing.