The Implementarity Principle In The Television Series Friends

The complementarity principle is displayed when groups have many different personalities that make up their dynamic; this is clearly shown in the television series Friends as well as some of my personal friend groups. The complementarity principle is defined as, “the tendency for group members to like people who are dissimilar to them in ways that complement their personal qualities” (Forsyth 109). Some people tend to want a leadership role in a social or work group, where as others take on a more passive role in groups and enjoy being surrounded by more active personalities.
In my own personal experience I enjoy being surrounded by people that are similar to me, but also people that compliment my personality and challenge me in
situations. My core friend group from freshman year here at UWEC included three others girls. All four of us share common moral standards but two of them have extremely different personalities than I. Grace, who is in class with right now, shares the same humor, goals, and interests that I do, but the two other girls vary on all those elements. Today they are still two of my best friends because I enjoyed getting to know people that were different than me. I came from a small private school, so it was intriguing when we all came from different demographics and backgrounds. One of the girls is very responsible, soft spoken, and school-oriented and held a more passive role in our group which we definitely needed. One of the girls was very opinionated, outspoken, and bold and she held a more active role in our group. Grace and I fell in the middle of these two extremes. It was challenging at times but the complimentary personalities in our group were beneficial for all of us.
In relation, in the television series Friends, all six of the main characters compliment each other in a fun, interesting manner. The men all have very differing personalities; Ross plays the part as an older brother to Monica but is fairly passive, always looking for a different job, and searching for a goal in life. Chandler is the fun, but serious character; he takes his job seriously while making a joke out of everything. Joey is the total goof ball who is also an actor and does not take life seriously. The women all play distinguished roles as well; Monica is uptight and prefers to be in charge in all situations. Rachel is the carefree, light-hearted one of the groups, and Feebie is the naïve, oblivious member that is around for entertainment.
This group of six members works out happily because they all bring different personality traits to the table. If Joey and Feebie were in charge, nothing would be done right. If Monica and Ross worked together on a project it would end in conflict. The complimentary roles they all play in the group further their success as friends.
In conclusion, the complementarity principle displays the need for people to have some friends with dissimilar personalities from them. Conflict can easily rise if a person has friends that are too similar to them. The success of my friend group from freshman year and the group in Friends is directly credited to the complementarity principle.

Works Cited
Forsyth, Donelson R., and Donelson R. Forsyth. Group Dynamics. Pacific Grove, CA:
Brooks/Cole Pub., 1990. Print.
Friends. National Broadcasting Company.
WOAI, San Antonio