There is a reason why one of the oldest wise words ever passed down through generations is that no man is an island. As an adage, it sounded harmless and funny. However, one will never understand how threatening and truthful that adage is until one finds oneself in dire need of a good support system in the form of friends.
To fully understand the profound impact of friends, either good or bad, I'll quote a popular Yoruba adage which says, "Ore ni n lani; ore ni n pani," which translates to 'A friend can save; a friend can also kill."
Personally, I am not really hung up on the idea of depending on friends to be happy. It is obvious that having good friends makes life easy. Also, it makes living a lot more interesting. As a dude, a lot of the exciting, memorable, and nasty/crazy things will always have the fingerprints of friends all over them. Whether it is doing crazy stuff like crashing parties or drinking to a stupor, or fun ones like playing video games all through the night, friends definitely bring excitement.
The impact of good friendship goes beyond having fun and causing nuisance while at it. Good friends help one become a better version of oneself. Having progressive friends with wonderful mindsets definitely helps one to improve all around. In fact, some guys are doing financially well today not because they're the smartest, but because they rolled with a dude a found a way to prosperity and let them in on it. So, the impact of good friends cannot be overemphasized.
As for the prompt, yes, we definitely need friends to be happy. I mean, our immediate family and relatives definitely form a support group around us to ensure we are okay and happy. But, there are some things only a good friend can understand; there are some discussions that are best had with a good friend than anyone else because they can resonate with one. Although friends are not the only ones who can make a man genuinely happy, their contribution to a man's happiness is vital.
Also, life without good friends may be a little bit boring. I am saying this because there was a phase in my life where I shut down friends and only focused on myself. I did well on my own, but there were a couple of occasions where the vacuum of lack of quality friends was obvious. I tried to make up for it by committing myself to other necessities, but still, it weighed heavily. And, given the same circumstances, I don't think I will try to shut down friends for whatever reason again.
In the end, one thing I have learnt along the line is to never let anyone decide my happiness. Most people love control and are power-driven. And once they realize that they have a hold on you, they will exploit it. I have seen situations where seemingly good friends hurt each other without even knowing it. It does happen once a friend realizes how important they are to another. The occasional silence, the unwarranted neglect on the excuse of being too busy, ends up getting people hurt. And then the person doing that isn't too bothered because he knows the friend needs him; he knows the friend cannot afford to shut him out.
So, find a way to make yourself happy. Never depend on a friend to be happy. And once you notice you're clinging to a friend, take a step back else you'll become dependent and eventually get hurt. A friend is supposed to contribute to your happiness, not dominate it. Real happiness should come from within you
