"The Accidental Friend - Why we love the people who are just nearby" explores the "Propinquity Effect" (or proximity effect). We like to think we choose our friends and partners based on shared values and soul connections. Research, specifically the famous MIT Westgate housing study, suggests otherwise: We mostly just befriend the people who happen to be physically closest to us.Author Emily Close explains the "Mere Exposure Effect." The more we see someone (even just passing in the hall), the more we like them. The study showed that people living near stairwells had more friends simply...