3 life lessons that start on a dancefloor

You can't be everyone's friend

Everyone you meet at 4am feels like a friend. Researchers looked at phone records and friendship surveys to see who people really spend time with. About 60% of that time goes to the same 15 people. Close friendships take regular hours of contact, and there are only so many hours in a week.

You're happier when your mind is on what you're doing

You know the stretch where you're on the dancefloor but you're thinking about Monday. Researchers messaged 2,250 people at random times of day and asked two things: what are you doing, and are you thinking about it? People were thinking about something else 46.9% of the time, and they reported feeling less happy in those moments.

Being around people unlike you makes you less prejudiced

A dancefloor puts you next to people you'd never otherwise meet. Researchers combined 515 studies of people spending time with a group they weren't part of. In most of them, that time left people with less prejudice against the whole group, not just the people they met. It worked even when the setting was far from ideal.

You can't be everyone's friend. You're happier when your mind is on what you're doing. Being around people unlike you makes you less prejudiced.