By the same logic, boundaries and distance are also part of a healthy relationship, and there's no point to forcing proximity when it is not desired.

The original title of this post was "You'd Be Happier Living Closer to Friends." which I disagree with. It has since been changed to "Why don’t more people live close to friends?" which feels like a much more reasonable inquiry.

The matter of fact is not everyone wants to be social and connected all the time. While it might be interesting to discuss how the modern world limits people who do enjoy being more close to their friends, my point is that it is critical to also recognize that, no, sometimes you'd be less happy living closer to friends.