Having friends is a bit like a love relationship : you have to work at it and sometimes you get hurt. Things that are worth the effort mostly take effort.

> you have to work at it and sometimes you get hurt.

This pretty sums up why there's so much negativity and pessimism every time this topic comes up. People want to have amazing friendships without taking a risk, making an effort and putting themselves out there. Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy.