They say good things come in threes, but when it comes to trio friendships ? That might be up for debate. On paper, three seems like the magic number. “It’s just big enough to get the sense of community and support from a friend group, but also small enough to stay close-knit and manageable,” says Joy Harden Bradford, PhD, licensed psychologist and author of Sisterhood Heals: The Transformative Power of Healing in Community .
Realistically, you can vent about your latest relationship crisis without getting drowned out by a roomful of voices and interruptions, for instance, and coordinate in-person hangouts without the logistical headache of organising plans for four, five, six people. Trios also have a solid track record in pop culture. (Who among us didn’t wish to be a part of their own Rachel, Phoebe and Monica?) But the real-world verdict is a lot more mixed.
In fact, they’ve earned a controversial reputation—at least on Instagram , where the general consensus is that there’s always a stronger duo in a trio, intentional or not. This isn’t just based on personal biases or experiences with clique-ish fallouts, though: There’s actually some psychology behind why these dynamics can be uniquely hard to navigate. At a basic level, the odd number creates an inherent imbalance, says Barbie Atkinson, LPC, founder of Catalyst Counseling in Houston.
“We have a natural tendency to seek symmetry when things feel uneven,” she explains, and trios, by design, often a.