One of the most repeated truisms in social-science research is: 'The No. 1 best thing for your well-being is your relationships.' Despite using this line myself many times, I've nevertheless questioned its universality. Who hasn't nodded along in recognition while listening to a story about a nightmare roommate, or had a narcissistic relative who makes everything about himself' The Subreddit r/FriendshipAdvice would be a ghost town if everyone's relationships were truly enhancing their quality of life. An emerging body of research validates my sense that surely not all social ties are beneficial. Relationships with people who are draining, critical, or otherwise difficult can compromise our mental and physical health. Shira Offer, a sociologist at Bar-Ilan University, in Israel, who has studied these so-called negative social ties, told me, 'For a long time, social scientists have focused on the positive aspects of relationships. And finally, we're also seriously dealing with the...
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