What sort of person are you? Do you put a lot of effort into helping others without much regard to what you gain in return from them? If so you are a person with high ‘communal orientation’  and people like you have been shown in new research to be generally happier than those with low communal orientation.

However people who do give a lot of their time to help their friends do still expect to count on them; but they run the  risk  that they will not  be there when they do need a hand.

Take some time to read this  interesting article as it will really get you thinking about your relationships.

The Friendship Bank: How and Why Even the Most Giving Friend Expects Payback – WSJ.com.