# People judge close friends by their own motivations

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/people-judge-close-friends-by-their-own-motivations/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

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

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?

People judge close friends by their own motivations.

- Somewhat: 27.6%
- Moderately: 17.8%
- Not at all: 13.5%
- A little: 13.1%
- A lot: 12.5%
- Very little: 8.2%
- A great deal: 7.3%

## 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: 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
- 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

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.7](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.7)

## Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=526 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.7](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.7)