Although you may form relationships because of proximity, attraction, or similarity, you might also enter into relationships simply to achieve practical goals. In addition to our psychological needs to alleviate loneliness or obtain stimulation, we have mundane needs for getting through our daily tasks as well as longer-term goals for achieving our life’s plans. We often form relationships with people to help us or inform us or give us pep talks to meet these needs and achieve our goals. For example, you might develop a relationship with a classmate because you need someone to help you figure out an assignment or give you advice about your major. If you have dreamed all your life about working in finance, you might seek relationships with influential people in that field through networking via your college alumni group or through an internship.

Of course, people can form relationships to achieve manipulative goals as well, which is the argument that is put forward by those who feel that solitary confinement is justified. When particularly dangerous prisoners are kept in isolation, they are unable to form relationships that might help them to accomplish dangerous goals (such as gang memberships or terrorist networking) (Sullivan, 2006).