Mahjong: the game for connection
- Missy Mahjong
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 10
It takes 90 hours of connection to make a genuine friend. These aren’t just friendly acquaintances or casual friends. According to the research from University of Kansas, these are solid friendships.
This explains why the mahjong groups are so powerful. Assuming you spend three hours a week with other players, you will have new friends in less than eight months. You play twice a week? Those friendships are made in four months.
How long does it take to make a close friend? According to researcher Jeffrey Hall, it takes 200 hours to make a close friend. That means that the weekly mahjong game will create good friends in just over a year. The more time you connect each week, the closer you will be to those 200 hour close friends.
The research from University of Kansas showed that all time spent together does not count. Working together does not count. Friendships are made with mutual interest in connection AND consistent time spent together.
I went to opening weekend of Toy Story 5. The plot was for Bonnie to make real, in-person friends. This is a very real issue- both kids and adults are all struggling to build friendships. Many recent studies have shown that there is a loneliness epidemic. For game players, we don’t need Buzz and Jessie to help us make friends. We just need a set of tiles, basic knowledge of the game rules and the interest to pursue new friendships over a weekly game.
If you are looking to make friends, we all need to play together. It can be mahjong for women or play dates for kids. Let’s unplug and connect.
For more on friendship and connection at the mahjong game table, listen to this podcast featuring the Missy Mahjong social club games here.
To read the article, see below.
