[DanBC]

There are several ways this can happen.

A person can be at school and have a small number of friends. They then leave to go to college and lose those friends. They may make a few more friends at college. They then leave college and go to work - and again they lose their friends.

Once you're at work it is hard for some people to male friends.

This isn't a new or unusual point of view. We freqently hear about how lonely cities can feel.

"$cityname is lonely" returns hits of people talking about how lonely they are in any city. The fact that they do this on the Internet makes it, to me at least, very sad.

Some people just struggle to make and keep friends.

[IndianAstronaut]

I do wonder what it is about the psychology of the 40 year old which makes it harder to form new friendships than say a 20 year old.

[tomjen3]

I doubt it is the psychology, but the lack of shared experiences outside work. In school you have shared experiences and you grow to like some of the guys you hang out with. You don't hang out (much) at work and so don't have the shared experiences and consequently make no bonds.

[ta0967]

i'd say dwingling neuroplasticity and brain chemistry.

[TheOtherHobbes]

Actually it's just harder to meet new people. And harder still to meet interesting new people. (Especially ones who aren't judgemental about age.)

[irishcoffee]

> Some people just struggle to make and keep friends.

That was my point. Why?