According to Delamater et al. (2015), three factors play an essential role in how intimate relationships such as friendships and love develop between two people in determining whether the relationship will grow or die. The factors include self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence, which contribute to the level of mutuality between people (Delamater et al., 2015). The mentioned factors play an important role in the progression of relationships as their presence grows with time. However, even though there could be many long-time acquaintances in an individual’s life, they cannot develop into intimate relationships without mutuality. From a personal experience, I can say that development of mutuality could be recognized in friend groups that originate from childhood. At a young age, friendships are limited to playing activities. Still, later, children start showing trust in sharing secrets or concerns while also continuously helping each other, which results in their interdependence.
Reference
Delamater, J. D., Myers, D. J., & Collett, J. L. (2015). Social Psychology (8th ed.). Westview Press.