<i>I&#x27;ve found that as time goes on, people are far more concerned with doing things by the book, projecting an image, etc. rather than just &#x27;being&#x27;, enjoying life in the moment, doing things just because.</i><p>My experience is not like that at all. On the contrary, people I know became less and less concerned with keeping an extended social circle and retreated to family.<p>This retreat in many cases has a lot to do with the refusal to put up with other&#x27;s annoying behaviour. Family is no peace oasis either, but it&#x27;s more difficult to defect from it :)<p>I return to my hometown for holidays and see this effect every year. There are still big groups of acquitances, but they&#x27;re more homogeneus than what they used to be. I believe there&#x27;s a big pressure when you&#x27;re young to have a lot of friends and to fit in. When older we become grumpier and less tolerant of neighbour&#x27;s faults.