People judge close friends by their own motivations
Core finding
Most Americans (65%) rely at least somewhat on their own level of motivation when judging how driven a close friend is; the largest group puts that reliance at somewhat (28%), and 7% rely on it a great deal.
The other 35% draw on themselves only a little or not at all, including 13% who say not at all, according to a Verasight survey of 526 U.S. adults conducted May 11, 2026.
Topline distribution
People judge close friends by their own motivations.
When judging how motivated a close friend is to pursue their goals, how much do you rely on your own level of motivation as a reference point?
n = 526 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±4.6%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 526 |
| Margin of error | ±4.6% |
| Module | identity |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
When judging how motivated a close friend is to pursue their goals, how much do you rely on your own level of motivation as a reference point?
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=526 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.