I will talk more in a bit about the kinds of efforts that yield the biggest practical payoffs, but first I want to note this: We live in a world that glorifies instant gratification in every aspect of our lives—food, sex, money, attention, and, yes, friendship. According to tidbits of advice passed out on morning talk shows or in the glossy pages of women’s magazines, if a girlfriend isn’t your “ride-or-die” (if she won’t follow you into and support you in any scenario), she’s not worth the effort. And if it doesn’t work out right away, it wasn’t meant to be.
